The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-10
SENTIMENT IN PRACTICE.

SENTIMENT IN PRACTICE.
Sentiment Is One of The forces moving
men to action and inspires those &C
tions which all agree are mems best.
1t moves me,} 20 charity. II takes shape
in sympathy, ia stirs anger at wrong or
oppression. ii inspires high ideals. The
world wound be q 1reary place without
it. And YET our Of place, left uncheck-
ed by common sense, by wisdom. it
makes for harm quite as forcefully as
rightly directed, it works for good It
is the misfortune Of sentiment that,
like other human virtues it is ex-
plotted by the INSCRIPTIONS and rapa-
c-ous, who use it and play upon it to fur
Their their own schemes. We see this
in its lowest form in the frauds prac-
ticed on the charitable by worthless
vagabonds, and in another form, high
err in degree but the same in quality,
in the unfinished episode of Mr.. Bry-
ans lecture tour.
Mr.. Bryan is pre-eminently a senti-
mentalist. In finance he has shown the
characteristics of that class of minds
in his supreme disregard Of experience.
Of the potency of natural laws of hui
man nature. and in his implicit conf
dence in the wisdom and power Of leg
islation. Sentiment is the roseate lens
through which he views life, individual
as we'll as collective. 1t permeates his
being and reflects itself in all his reia-
lions public and private. 1t inspired
the convention speech that gave him
the presidential nomination that vault
ed him into nOtoriety with the dazzling
rush of rocket. He infected millions
with his sentimentalism, and crowds
tore their garments to get to or near
him in his meteoric campaign. He ap-
pealed to the purely sentimental in his
fellows, and over six million adult
men responded to it at the polls.
Here was a fund Of sentiment in
which the merely mercenary saw an
opportunity for one of those soft
snaps" they are ever looking for. It
was Strike" of rich ore that could
be coined into cash One Roche. Of
New York city, was among those who
saw the millions or less there were
wrapped up in this vast fund of senti-
ment There We're others, but he was
the most alert He had always been
Republican and had voted for Mr..
Bryan's successful opponent, he says.
statement one can readily believe.
He had been trained in the school of
politics that makes game Of sentiment.
In an interview preceding the tour Mr..
Roche said: LAS soon as it appeared
that Bryan had been beaten for the
presidency it occurred to a few Of lis
that there would be money in securing
such well-advertised man as a lectur
ing attraction. | wired him asking if
he would consider an offer of $50. 900
for fifty lectures. He hesitated for a
little, and sent reply which resulted
in closing a contract later"
The entirely commercial and charm
1ngly frank Mr.. Roche then went on to
tell how he proposed to exploit Mr..
Bryan for the money there was to he
made by him. There was to be q tour
OF this country, and, possibly. of Eu-
rope He was to travel on his tour in
special car. 1T is to be silver-coI-
ored outside and inside 1t will be q
magnificent affair. On top will be a
striking ornamental piece, consisting of
large picture of Bryan on q back
ground Of American flags. and about
this Will be pictures of Washington,
Jefferson, Jackson and Lincoln" All
the strings OF the sentimental harp
were to be played by this speculative
manager. when they-the people
see this car coming they'll line up be-
side the tracks and swing their hats
for Bryan" One can imagine the Wis
ions Of wealth flowing into the purses
of Mr.. Roche and his few others" as
he saw, in his imagination. those
crowds lining up by the tracks and
swinging their hats for Bryan" the
lecturer.
All know how they proceeded to de
velop'' their lead" They would not
show Mr.. Bryan at any city until
there was guarantee Of 81, 900, 81, 900 Of
which went to the lecturer and $4,000 to
Nj. Roche and his few Others" Mr.
Bryan may have been inspired with the
thought that, aside from the comforta
bic and welcome compensation he
would keep in touch with his fellows
and impart to them ideas and start as
{ piratiOns that would do them good. but
it was the $1,000 per lecture that the
Aoromoters were after The scheme
-.Giled. Mr.. Bryan declined to fill the
remaining forty-five nights The pub
lie refused to respond to the $4,000
guarantee. and. consequently, Mr..
Roche and the Few others" lost inter-