The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1898-11-03
railroads performed duties of a semi
public character Congress had the
power to regulate them.
ALGER AND BRYAN.

bOOiOp"iJ AlSoi Sbdleluout, given
to the press on Wednesday, concerning
Col. William j. Bryan, OF the Third
Nebraska Regiment, will, we tlust, al
lay the anxiety of certain more or less
malicious busybodies who have inter-
ested themselves in the premises of
late. General Alger informs the coun-
try to the effect that Colonel Bryan has
not been refused a leave of absence; has
not been made the victim Of any hos
tile discrimination; for the very good
and conclusive reason that he has new
er applied for the indulgence or in any
other way solicited favor at the govern
ment's hands. The fact seems to be
that Col. Bryan has studiously avoided
the appearance of solicitation. He has
simply stood by the consequences of
his own act, and proposes to maintain
that manly and patriotic attitude. APP
parently he accepts the logic of the stu
alton. Having offered his services to
the government, he is patiently and pa
triotically awaiting the governments
pleasure in his case.
1t seems a good time to say that a
great many newspapers and persons
have been making a sorry spectacle of
themselves in connection with Mr. Bry-
an. When he volunteered to organize
a regiment for the war with Spain, the
gold organs denounced him as a char
latan and q poseur. 1t was all right
enough for Col. Roosevelt to do the
same thing, In the eyes of the Repub-
lican and assistant Republican organs,
Roosevelt was a hero and a patriot
Bryan was an impudent and %pretenti-
GUS mountebank. While in Roosevelt's
case it was pure and noble patriotism,
in Bryan's case it was vulgar ostenta-
ton and Cheap John ~demagcgy. Moth
ing that Bryan did was acceptable.
Everything that Roosevelt did was no.
BILE, high-minded and heroic. Every
poor little penny-a-liner had his fling al
Bryan. Every Pharisee and every Mug.
wump burned his bargain-counter in.
cense before Roosevelt.
W. are not speaking in disparage
ment Of Roosevelt. We are simply il
Illustrating a situation.
Now comes the Secretary of War
however, to put a final and unanswera.
BILE quietus on the most vicious of al
the cackle about Bryan-the insinua
tion that Bryan, having posed for poll
teal effect as a foaming worrior, i
secretly endeavoring to obtain prefer
ment from the department, in orde
r that he may return to private life ant
exploit his military service for paltr,
party ends. General Alger declare
: that Colonel Bryan has done nothing Q
the sort. He tells us that Colonel Bry
an has asked for nothing, suggeste,
nothing. He leaves us no alternatiy
save that of concluding that Bryan ma
r comported himself as u modest, unset
fish, high-minded gentleman, and h
puts to shame-if they can feel it'll
horde of singing insects that have al
tackled this noble prey. A party or
ponent, a possible antagonist for tn
finest prize within human reach, Ger
eral Alger spontaneously pays tribut
to chiyalry and truth, and puts Co.
Bryan in the creditable and patriot
- place he has a right to occupy.
1t is perhaps too much to expect tia
this announcement will stop the bark
ling of the mongrel pack at Col. Bryan
heels. But, in the eyes Of all homes
and upright men, it will set up tn
claims of justice, and tAat, we fancy,
Is quite enough for Colonel Bryan an
his friends. Washington Post.