Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-07-26
MR.. BRYAN AND OTHERS.
Our Salem Correspondent Writes Of His
soiourn With Mr.. Bryan.
lCarey Martln 10 Eugene Journal:l

lCarey Martin 10 Eugene Journal;l
Laying aside all questions Of poll
tics, all questions as to whether his
political views are correct or fallaciOus
putting entirely out Of sight all
things which could possibly be re
gar1ed as appertaining to money the
ories-and Mr.. Bryan is still a very
great man. While travelling on the
train with Mr.. Bryan recently my
wife and 1 endeayored, by closely
watching him, by closely noting his
every action AID the manner in which
he greeted people of different classes
and kinds and the words he spoke 20
them, to determine why he is 50 won
fully popular; to determine why
people will travel hundreds Of miles,
get up in the middle OF the night,
stand for hours in the burning sun
Just for a glimpse Of very ordinary,
commonplace looking, middle aged
man. Equanimity, equality of all
men. gentlenesS, kindness. There
seems TO be no word which will de-
scribe the man. So plain, so common,
50 kind. 50 goOdnatured so even tenn
pered, 50 absolutely on level with all
men. Call it personal magnetism,
hypnotic force OF anything you please,
believe the word ''equanimity" Of
character most nearly tells
the whole story. Nature works in
cycles and at stated periods prOdu-
ces prodigies. Mr.. Thomas Jefferson
was a human prodigy, a wonder,
real disciple of the theory Of the
equality Of man. An hundred year
cycle has about rolled by and we have
another prodigy of the same school.
Mr.. William ]. Bryan. Jefferson, at
the close Of his term as president, was
the most despised man in the nation.
Why? Simply because he did not like
cruel, inhumac war and tried to keep
peace with other nations without
war. Today Jefferson is exalted as a
hero. Had Mr.. Bryan been elected,
had his money theories failed
Of pratical application, had he re-
tired from Office a hOOted false
prophet, an hundred years from now
he would be enolized and worshipped
as the teacher OF human equality, the
Christ OF the latter part Of the nine
teenth century, the living example OF
the Christian equanimity. 1t might
be said that Mr.. Bryan is the first
man since Lincoln who is willing to
absolutely sacrifice self and dignity
and all that and put himislf on an alb
solute level with the poorest man. At
the railaoad stations all along the
line l watched how he seem to en-
JOY meeting the real sun-tanned,
rough-dressed laboring men-the real
producers of our nation. Abe Lin
coin himself could not have been a
greater hero Of the plain, common
people.
The first thing Bryan asked me was:
'where is your wife?" l told him. He
said, ~ will thank you if you will
bring her to me-" 1 thanked him, and
retired, and re-appeared in moment
with my wife. Mr.. Bryan, who had
remained seated to greet the gentle
men, arose, lifted his light, gray hat
with his left hand and extended his
right hand saying: 81 am glad to
know you. / am well acquainted
with yOur brother in New York and
have just met your father. Won't
you have some flowers as remem-
brance OF this occasion?" With
this he reached to an enormous
bouquet of sweet peas on the seat in
front of him and plucking a small
handful presenting them to her. We
thanked him for skind expressions
about our relatives in Lincoln, Neb.
raska, and in New York and retired
to allow Others to 90 through the
same performance. We took seats OPP