The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1898-09-30
BRYAN as a Soldier.

War works to the advantage OF some
and particularly strong to the dlsad-
vantage of others. To the ambitious
politician military glory is apt to give
him pull with the people that can be
acquired in no other way. Military
heroes have always been worshlpped
and quite frequently rushed into office
on great wave of popular enthusl-
asm. Some have made good states
men as we'll as soldiers but some IA
NOUS as the latter have been failures
as the former. There is probably no
one more ambitious to shine before the
people of this country than William
Jennings Bryan, the great champion
of the forces who worship the silver
idol. Bryan is a reader and has evil
IDENTIFY made something of a study Of
military heroes. He has read of their
brave deeds in battle and how, when
the war was over, they returned home
to resume their peaceful pursuits only
to be received by the people with open
arms and thrust into some high posi-
ton. 1t is far from our purpose to dis
pute Bryan's love of country or his pa
triotic motives in offering his services
to it. We give him credit for both. If
he had been called into action there is
not the least doubt but that he would
have acquitted himself as we'll as the
bravest. But a suspicion that his pa
triOtism was moved by desire for pol
itical thunder will crop out. When
war was declared Bryan offered his
services to the government, was ap-
pointed colonel of the Sd Nebraska
regiment. now stationed at Jackson
vile and part of Gen. Lees corps.
Before leaving his state he had an OPP
portunity for speech or two and he
made them with patriotic tervor. But
now for several months he has been
compelled to keep comparatively still.
AS an officer of the government he
could not criticise the administration
or make eloquent appeals for the silver
idol To one so fond of speech max
ing as Bryan and who depends upon it
altogether to keep himself before the
public this was terrible condition.
He saw his pet hobby, free silver,
gradually absorbed in the more vital
question of the war. Worse than this
he saw his own popularity and promi-
hence slowly waning and no prospect
of grand speech-making tour before
him to regain it, 1t is easy to imagine
that he became uneasy and anxious
for the Sd Nebraska to be mustered
out. But he could make no effort to
bring this about himself beyond a !
faint intimation that the regiment was
being ill-treated. The friends of the |
silver cOhort, AZ soon as the war was
over asked that it be mustered out. !
They found fault with the way the |
regiment had been treated from the |
start, claiming that the administration
was doing what it could to keep Bryan
In the background and would also keep
him in the service as long as possible
in order to keep the silver issue dead.
Eloquent appeals were made in order
to get him home in time to take part
in the Nebraska state campaign, but
all to no avail. The War Department
had the Sd Nebraska booked to go to
Cuba with Gen. Lee and there to do
garrison duty. There has been much
talk of Bryan's resigning but the latest
indications are that he will stick to his
regiment and go wherever it goes, a
Ysie thing for him to do. There would
be bowls innumerable against the sill
YER champion if he should hand in his
He may not find much
political capital in Cuban garrison du-
ty, but sticking to the regiment will
give the people more favorable inn
preston of his patriotic motives in
Joining it than resigning would. Bry-
an evidently isn't going to emerge
from this war a military hero but per-
haps his friends can succeed in making
a military martyr out of him. But
that will hardly shorten the distance
between Col. Bryan and the presiden-
tial chair.