Evening star., 1897-04-27
BRYAN F OR 1900
His Influence in Shaping Policies Of
His Party.
RESULTS OF his PERSONAL CAMPAIGN
His individuality Impressed on Many
Communities.
STILL SOW ING Sc f d


cere man prayerfully sought light to gov
ern his vote. He had been neighbor and
friend of the Bryan family. When young
William Jennings began to give signs of
political future the mother of the bud
ding statesman asked this friend IL he
would not vote for her son when William
became a candidate for President. Though
of the strictest sect of opposite politics.
the friend said he would vote for William
Jennings Bryan for President. No thought
that he would ever be called on to make
that word good came into his mind.
After the Chicago convention nominated
Mr.. Bryan he went back to his native viii
lage of Salem. The little town was illumin-
ated with tallow dips. and public re-
ception was held. The good brother who
had promised to vote for Bryan was there
with turmoil in his soul His promise to-
vote for Bryan, in his eyes. was sacred
obligation, but he was abhorrent OF
Bryans politics. A well-to-do man, with
money loaned out, he was especially alb
horrent of free silver and the tendencies
of the Chicago platform Yet there was
his promise. and his temperament was too
deep for the nice distinctions of political
cssuistry. In July the struggle between
conscientious regard for promise and
deep-seated political convictions was in
tense In October. when Mr.. BEyaR passed
through his native town. l heard. the per-
y. IL
a compromise with his conscience. He was
going TO stand by his party that election,
bat his vote should be given Bryan the
next time the latter became a presidential
not a fanciful sketch The name OF its
principal is not given, in order that he
may be saved a publicity that would be
distressing to him.
Hill and Others.
Recent events suggest the Inquiry wheth-
er this old friend. and neighbor of the
Brydns n Marion county, Ill. has not a
goodly coInpany. David b. Hill is trying
his favorite maxim of personal liberty as a
magnet to draw together the shattered
fragments of the, democratic party in New
York. and restore his leadership. Grover
Cleveland rs giving utterance to weighey
thoughts on. Present Problems which
will be sure to delight those who believe in
oracular politics But the public is think
ing of Bryan. and its thiaking seems to be
more than the echo of the curiosity which
his remarkable campaign caused. MIR. Hill
can hardly hope that squabble over a
state liquor law will arouse the attention
OF the nation. Mr.. Cleveland might gain a
larger degree of popular interest if he put
in the list Of Present Problems" the future
influence of Bryan in shaping issues and
policies during the next three years
Ii is apparently Mr.. Bryans own opinion
that his strength comes from ''the cause
of which he IL the champion and represen-
tative His public addresses renew the be-
lief that the money question must be the
paramount issue of the next campaign
Political prophets who see the disappear
ance of this question, either through a gen
erdl European war which will bring 81
wheat and 4oEcent corn to the western
farmers. or through the restoration of good
times growing out of the policies of Presi-
dent Mckinley's administration, undertake
TO say that IL the money question ceases to
he paramount; Mr. Bryan will cease 10 lie d
potential factor in the next campaign. Per-
haps he would agree with them.
There are abundant reasons for disagree
ling with this view. The plaineSt of all Is
the fact that the people nf the United
states who sympathize in more or less de-
gree with the tendencies represented by
M Bryan know him as they know no
other public man. He got acQC ain.el with
them during his whiriwind campaign. 1t
was the estimate of tnose who ira eled
with Mr. Bryan throughout the campaign
that he was seen and heard l,y.n less
than 4.JO.OUO people. Probably 3.:sn 900 of
these were voters, and whether OF the can
d:dateS politics or not every one of those
voters has since watched Mr.Bryan's move
mentS with certain amount of personal
interest John Smith likes shake hards
with the President for whom he voted if
he ever gets the chan-H. John Brown Is
just as eager to meet the man for whom
he votes unavaiiingly. and If he had that
opportunity before casting his vote single
defeat does not check his enthusiasm This
is independent of the issues involved 1t
day by a very large number of citizens.
Major McKinIey's 1894 Campaign.
In 1891 Maj. Mckinley made a canvass.
which probably covered a larger geograph-
icaI area than that of Mr.. Bryan. 1t car
ried him from Maine to Nebraska and as
far south as New Orleans. while Memphis
the southern limit of Mr.. Bryan's
trip. At that time the wisest politicians
in his party were sure the popular interest
in Maj Mckinley would not continue and
they thought his campaigning a mistake.
III took eighteen months to show that the
ristake was their own, and I hat Mai. Nc
ktnieys strength was greatest In the To-
calities he had visited When Bryan was
sweeping across the country 1t was again
the opinion of political leaders that the
stir ne was creating was simply the COM
cts blaze. which would last for q moment
and leave tie political heavens clear and
serene Months have passed, and, instead
of disappearing, the Bryan star Is about
the only one seen above the horizon.
MI Bryan. in his 5000 miles of travel,
visited scores of congressional districts.
sometimes he lost votes. 1t required the
election returns to destroy his own delu-
sion that enormous crowds could take the
place OF organization. or that the curiosity
10 see and hear him did not represent an
overwhelming public sentiment but In
every congressional district he left a Bryan
following He also left local candidates
VINO ieit under a sense Of personal obliga-
10 the future and judging by their imme-
dlate surroundings, are pretty sure to ar
ray themselves with this Bryan following
While leaders in Washington may be
quarrelins among themselves about the
democratic policy on the tariff or other
subjects. whe1 they go back to their peo-
pie they are likely to find that there Ia
more thought of Bryan than of the tariff.
~ Is not unlikely that they will all be found
'reading the path which Mr.. Bryan has
marked out for them. or else many of
them Will stay at home. Private John AL
lens observations about leaders who are
Kept at home because they don't lead are
apt TO fnd yerification.
Mr.. Bryan's Plans.
hint has already been given of Mr..
Bryan's purposes In the future 1t Ia uu-
derstood he win take part in the Ohio cam
paisn this fall One Of the many things
which was hard to understand during his
last canvass was his anxiety to make
speeches In Maj. McKiniey.s own state
when he himself did not think IL could he
earned Practical politicians do not waste
Time merely that opposing majori,ies NAV
Dc reduced when 1t Il essential to success
mat these ma1orities be entirely viped ont
But as Mr.. Bryan had his own way In
everything. he gave q portion of his time
10 OHIO. The night of the election. at his
home in Lincoln. after his defeat was an
parent he showed mora frforoat q, 81