Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-07-16
The True Reason Why.

1t i amusing L. see how the Ore
oIsfun -Iuirm> IN acknowledgment OF
the fact that BRYAN aroused more on
tliu>ia>m in the >taid Old city on the
Willamette than any public speaker.
Politician col stat. >nan viii" had ever
visited il. While admitting the fact
that last year mo crowds that
cqualed those that followed Bryan or
gathered 10 hear him" had lever be-
fore assembled around candidate"
condition, it admits, that still holds
true, ii in the same article maintains
that his speeches then, a now, i" fell
flat, and the ovations he has received,
and Is receiving, everywhere, are owing
solely to that "curioSitv which is
human instinct. and f. the novelty
which attracts the throng.' These are
the Orfgonida's own words. Now if
this be true, the corollary follows that
to interest and satisfy that curiosity"
OF the people to the extent that Bryan
does, nor indeed has the novelty"
which at first characterized his utter
ances worn Off or suffered decline.
The Oregonian forgets, however, in
making this statement that in another
column it asserts with equal solcmnitv
that there is absolutely nothing new
i'll the man or his speeches, its exact
words being:
Out of the hundreds of columns of
Bryan'S speeches printed last year, the
Oregonidn could have made up a dis
course that could not be distinguished
from his speeches of yesterday. Every
thing was the same, words, phrases and
arrangement. Any silly craze, presents
always the same features. 1t has no va
riety."
Well, then, taking this latter quo
tation for the truth, although it COM
pletely destroys the premise of its
leading article of the same issue, en-
titled "Quackery and its Chief Apos-
tie" we are led to make inquiry, what
is there in the man and his methods
which has created and maintained the
curiosity" in what he says and pre-
sents it as an ever new theme for re-
Election and study? If Mr.. Bryan is Il
shallow declaimer," whose "elo-
quence is flatulence"; if his theme is
old and worn threadbare by repeti-
tions, what is it that sets the.continent
aflame as he passes like meteor from
sea to sea?
If the Oregonian was honest in its
course, if its whole line of goldbug ar
gument was not built up on just
such contradictions, misstatements
and sophistry, it would admit that it
is neither the individuality of Mr..
Bryan nor his eloquent manner of
presenting existing conditions and
their cause, that arouses popular APP
proval to fever heat. 1t is because of
their truth. 1t is because the gaunt
specter of Want stands at the thresh-
old of every labOring mans door. 1t
is because the owners of property that
was considered ample to protect their
families from restitution, probably the
heritage of lifetime of toll, see them
swept away by device which makes
the money barons absolute kings in
finance. 1t is because of the broken
promises of the party which bowed
down to Belial. 1t is because of the
distrust of those who have led the
masses to their own destruction. 1t is
because of growing desperation as the
advancing shadows of disaster pass the
cleaning into perfect darkness, with
out any other hope of dawn. 1t is be-
cause the people have been duped, de-
ceived and betrayed to their own I'M
doing, and can see no way out of the
wilderness except by following one
who has been the pillar of fire which
gathers in brilliancy as the night
deepens. This is the logical reason
why Mr.. Bryan was received SO cor
daily. so hopefully, SO enthusiast
cally. He is the embodiment of re-
form which will, it is firmly believed,