The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-20
BRYAN AS A DEMAGoGUE.
The Boy Orator as Seen by a
NeighbOr.

N9IRnDOTs
Daniel Powell, a welI-known citizen of
Reno New, recently got very interest
ing letter from his nephew, Judge G. NJ.
Palmer o. Lincoln, Neb., one of Bryan's
friends and neighbors. 1t sheds much
light on the boy orators character and
shows that he is a demagogue. Among
other things the writer says:
Now as for Mr.. Bryan, he is a neighbor of
mine and has been for many years. His office
is IN the same building, not thirty feet from
mine. have frequently tried cases with him.
He and his family belong to the same church
! as ana my family. Mr.. Bryan is in every
sense an honorable, pleasant gentleman, good
citizen and fair lawyer. AS man have the
profoundest respect for him.
BUTT is politically that we are considering
MIN now. He is strictly politician; his
whole life has been devoted to politics; his law
practice is seco I'd consideration.
bis ambition is for political notoriety, and
so lar he has made his way by his brilliant ora
tory. AS an orator he has no superiors and /
thiLk few equals; he is simply irresistible; he
| carries an audience by storm; people Will ap-
plaud his bursts of oratory, but after the ex-
element is over they will wonder at the man
heads.
Mr.. Bryan is simply an adventurer in pub
lie; he is always scheming for some new
dodge, some wild-eyed scheme TO catch new
voters and the disconnected, disappointed sd
Venturers like himself; he is always PLAYING
| upon the peoples imaginary grievances, aim
ing to lntiame their prejudices against those
who are more conlented and more successful
| than they.
The Debses, the Coxeys and the strikers are
sure TO find an advocate in him. Four years
ago he was an ardent free-irader; he drew
tears from the eyes of his hearers by painting
the woes coming from a protective tariff; he
pledged them all sorts of relief from free trade
| etc. But having partially succeeded in de-
| stroy1ng some OF our most important indus
tries, chief among which is the utter ruin of
our sheep and wool trade, he views the ruin
| he has helped to bring upon the people wi tn
| perfect competency. He even laughs at it,
| but makes no effort at defending their in
famous fraud upon the people. He now
| strikes new note on higher key; it is F'free
silver" now, and with many plausible speeches
| he seeks to again deceive and gull the dear
people, and. strange to say, he is succeeding in
many Localities.
Immediately after his nomination he Gre
ated quite Juror here. There was quite q
Bryan wave swept over the country, but it wes
largely on account OF State pride and Bryan's
local popularity, but il has very largely sub
sided now, and the sober second thought of
the people has already asserted itself, and to
my personal knowledge the Republican party
Is Stea Oily gaining strength every day.
Again, thinking people who know Mr. Bryan
know him to be a young man only So years
OF age, with no experience, no knowledge of
the science OF government with no realizing
sense OF the importance of the place he is seek
ing, with, in fact, nothing to back him save
his wonderful oratory, and they are already
the Nation if he is BY chance made President.
They know him to be a man of inordinate
ambition; that he truckles to every element,
no matter how dangerous II may be, for sup
port. They know he seeks to advance his own
political fortunes, at all hazards, and if that
be necessary the welfare OF the Nation would
be sacrificed to his CREEPY ambition.
Mr.. Brygn teaches that kind of political
treason that makes the poor man hate the
rich man, no matter though the rich man may
furnish him employment with which 10 sup
port his family; it is a doctrine OF hate-to
hate everybody and everything above you in
the financial, social or political world. The
man who IS better off than you in the world is,
by Bryan, held up to dissertation as the man
responsible for all your woes, and strange to
say in the very lowest classes it is a catching
doctrine.
Again, he teaches that all government is
tyrannical Policemen, State militia and es-
pecially United States troops are kept up sim
ply to Cypress and prosecute the adherents of
his scheme. The lower down and more law
breaking classes are only too glad to find q
champion in him. He champions every wild
eyed, visionary fad that he thinks may help
him to swim to political fame.
am quite confident that Mckinley will be
overwhelmingly elected. 1 am sure he will
carry Bryan's ward, Bryan's city, Bry ans
county, Bryan's Congressional district AMI I
am quite confident he will carry Bryan's State,
though the Pops and Democrats have fused in
this State. which with some few soit-headed
silver Republicans, will make US a hard fight,
but we are going to put up the fight OF our