The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-01-07
THEY STILL BERATE BRYAN.

lnCI JILL bENAlE bNIAN.
Whatever William J. Bryan says or
does is sure to be ridiculed and belittled
by the organs of the American plutocra-
cy. When he entered the army in the
cause OF humanity his action ELECTED We
hement denunciation from the Mckinley
press. which accused him of being a
demagogue, pure and simple; when he
resigned his commission the same I'M
principled press said he did SO for the
purpose of letting his tongue run loose
to captivate the unsophisticated people
with his eloquence. His utterances are
never satisfactory to the captious critics
ocracy. He cannot escape their censure
If he speaks like an archangel from
heaven; but the American common peo-
pie pay the greatest attention to his ut
terances and place implicit confidence in
his sagacity and patriotism.
1t makes no difference whether Will
liam ]. Bryan is to be the presidential
nominee of the Democracy in 1900 or not
He may be Mckinleys opponent or he
may not. But one thing is certain: he
has not said or done single thing to
forfeit the confidence reposed in him by
his party in 1896, and If he is called upon
to lead his party in the next campaign,
he will acquit himself with brilliant dis
tinction. His bitterest opponents do not
deny him the gift of oratory Neither
do they deny him an unbemished char
acter, both in private and in public life.
For a young man he has no superior in
this or any other country William Nc
kinley recognized his power as a debater
when he kept within the confines of his
own yard in Canton lest he might en-
counter him in the political arena during
the exciting campaign Of SO.
Nobody but hide-bound Republican
will deny that Bryan is mentally far
more able than Mckinley. In college he
stood at the head of his class, and in the
law school he outstripped his compan-
ions. In the practice of his profession
he stands in the front rank. In con-
gress he sprang into prominence and
made a grand record of which older men
would be proud.
How is it with Mckinley? He was
rather dull as student and in his le-
gal studies he displayed less than medi-
OGRE ability. He made failure of law
and turned out to be professional poll
tician. While in congress he never dis
tinguished himself to our knowledge. He
failed in business and got into bank
ruptcy. Mark Hanna came to his rescue
and helped to pay his liabilities and
then by bribery and corruption succeed
ed in electing him president of the
United States. While In office he has
been the plant tool of the plutocracy
and has done their bidding. He has ex-
hibited no qualities of craftsmanship
either in his voluminous messages or
platitudinous speeches. What has he done
gans? Nothing, absolutely nothing to
fulfill the pledges in the platform on
which he was elected. He secured the
votes of the people under false pretenses
and during his incumbency he has not
been honest with them.
The organs Of Imperialism and man
ifest destiny" pour out their wrath up
on the head of William ]. Bryan because
he condemns the un-republican policy of
the Mckinley administration. He is Sc
verely censured for expressions in his
speech to the Nebraska Travelling Mems
club the other evening, and one would
think he was guilty of treason for OPP
posing territorial expansion. The Pho
neer Press berates him for saying that
''the mission of America is to libcrate
those who are in bondage-not to place
shackles upon those who are struggling
to be free" it gets into = frenzy for say
ing to his audience you have labored
diligently to prevent foreign financiers
from disregarding the rights of the
American people. Now you are called
upon to use your influence to prevent the
American people from disregarding the
rights of Others" But for saying that
his auditors SHOULD stand steadfast by
the faith of their fathers" and not to
deny to the Filipinos the rights for
which "our fathers fought from Bunker
Hill to Yorktown" the editor Of the
Pioneer Press gets entirely beside hira-
self, shrieks anathemas upon Bryan,
and says ''he is crazy to be president"
He then predicts that Bryan will never
reach the White House, that he is ac-
quiring reputation for poltroonery and
dishonor and that he is not following in
the footsteps Of Washington, Franklin,
Hamilton. Jefferson. Jackson, Lincoln,
and Grant, while Mckinley is. But not
withstanding the scolding administered
by this Nova Scotian. the gallant spokes-