Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-03-24
Is Bryan The Coming Man?

On the 8th day of January, the ami
versary of the battle of New Orleans,
Democratically called "Jackson's Day, "
| attended banquet held by the w.
j. Bryan league of Chicago at the IRE
mont hotel, Chicago. The guest of
the evening was the distinguished ora
Five hundred silver Democrats were
at the tables and hundred more stood
along the walls, because they could not
find chairs. 1t speaks something for
the love and veneration in which this
man is held. the enthusiasm with
which he is received and the admira-
tion which he excites when I say that
the eating did not begin until 10
O'Clock, the speaking until II, Mr..
Bryan was the last man on the pro-
gram, and they waited through it all.
He rose to his feet at exactly fifteen
minutes past 8 o'clock and finished
when the hour hand rested on the fig
ure 4. For five hours and quarter
these men had patiently stood, asking
only the pleasure of hearing once again
the wonderful voice and the sounding
periods of the hero of 1896, for, what
ever the success of Hanna and McKin-
ley, Bryan was pre-eminently the hero
of that remarkable campaign.
There was nothing specially signifi-
cant in the day. The 8th day of Jan
uary has been celebrated for a good
many recurring years and will be cele-
brated. hope. in many years to come.
The value of the banquet, it's "news
FEATURE" as the makers of newspapers
would say, lay in the fact that it was
given by the Democratic organization
of the second largest city in the coun-
try to the leader Of the Democratic
hosts. 1t was the first formal launch
ing of the bryan BOOM" Whether
that boom is to eventuate into presl-
Dental nomination, which, unless all
signs are awry, will be equivalent to
the presidency itself, is question the
answer to which rests with the future.
l believe that it will and 1 propose to
tell why.
Bryan is an old friend of mine.
During a residence of three years in
Washington | met him hundreds of
times. [ have held many a midnight
session with him. / have talked poet
ry, science, music, literature, art and
politics with him. l knew him then
for brilliant orator, sound Demo
crat of the advanced school and an
honest citizen. But l want to say now
that he is bigger man than | thought
him. Either he has grown, or else l
signally failed to measure his depth.
| think it possible that the stress of the
intervening years has broadened him.
I do not like to confess that | was so
singularly lacking in appreciation. If
anv one had told me then that he
would be the next presidential noml-
nee of the Democratic party and that
he would personally make the most
wonderful campaign in the history OF
the country, would have laughed. L
did not think that it was in him.
When he was nominated at Chicago L
thought him too light man. l do
not think so now. l know that he is
larger than he was then. Failure de-
velops men who are men. Bryan has
failed once. It is not in his kind OF
human being to fail again. The peo-
pie who greeted him on the Sth of
January were the Democracy of Cook
county, which stands for the Democra-
cy of Illinois. 1t was headed by Mayor
Carter Harrison, who toasted the Ne
braskan as the next president of this
country. At the speakers table were
Campau, of Detroit, who represented
the Democracy of Michigan, and Morse,
of Indianapolis, who represented the
Democracy of Indiana. Here were
three great states and, so far as the
men at the feast were concerned, there
was no mention or thought of any pos
sible candidate save William Jennings
Bryan. | believe that if every state in
the South aud every other state In the
West had been represented, the result
would have been the same.
| wish | could describe to you the
enthusiasm of that banquet. It brought
to mind that other scene in the old
Coliseum. when the thousands went
mad under the spell of the young
leaders eloquenee. The dress-suited
men cheered each mention of his name.
They mounted upon chairs and fren-
ziedly waved napkins when Carter
Harrison delivered his toast. They
hung upon each word which fell from