The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-24

Lincoln, Neb., August 21.-A little
more than q week ago | was walking
the deck of the steamship st. Paul with
Richard Croker, listening to the tribute
to Mr.. Bryan's power and integrity
which has stirred the country. And
here l am today, with Mr.. Bryan HIM
self, the most stubbornly sincere and
convincingly convinced political leader
| have met in the whole world.
/ have known Mr.. Bryan for many
years, and in the ceinpaign of 1896 1
travelled nearly eighteen thousand miles
with him, although | did not support him
with my vote. He is today the same
sober, deliberate, intense American he
was in those bliStering days of roaring
multitudes and political upheaval. There
is not Il shadow of turning or evasion
in his conversation. Unlike Mr.. Nc
kinley, he does not shift his ground
to suit the occasion.
| came to Lincoln to see Mr.. Bryan
because Mr.. Croker said that many of
the Democratic leaders in the Eastern
States believed it to be desirable that
the ratio should be omitted from the
financial plank of the national platform
next year, and that the question Of the
relationship of silver to gold in our cur
rency should be left to Congress. The
interview with Mr.. Croker was. the nd
suit Of statement made to me by hiIh
nearly year ago in London He saib
then that he believed Mr.. Bryan to be
the greatest statesman in America, ii
not in the world
Mr.. Bryan looks older. In a few
months he will be forty years old. Hf
is stouter and weighs 203 pounds. Sinct
the last campaign he has bought farm
of twenty-five acres just outside of LinI
coin. and every two or three days thf
black charger which bore him as 4
soldier carries him to his scented fieldE
of clover, green corn, ripe melons, fruit
trees, potatoes and tomatoes. over
which broods of white chickens go clucE-
ing contentedly. The Democratic lead
er is good carpenter and makes his
own chicken houses. | saw him today
carry an aTnful of melons from the
field to his buggy while his wife and
children strolled about the scene OF
plenty and beauty.
STORIES OF BRYAN,S GREAT
WEALTH ARE PREPOSTER-
GUS.
have taken the trouble TO investigate
u.
man in Lincoln. 1t is preposterous
Mr.. Bryan's wealth does not exceed
100000, and half of that is in real
estate. His first profits from his book
amounted to $4,000. OF this he gave
$4,000 to various free silver clubs. He
also gave "a 800 to found prizes for es-
says OH the science Of government in
eighteen colleges. His house in Lincoln
cost him $4,000. He could not proba-
bly, sell it for more than $4,000 His
farm near Lincoln cost him about 81
goo. He also OWNS a farm Of eighty
acres near his birthplace, Salem, H.,
and a small house which his mother
occupied in her last years The story
that Mr.. Bryan is rich sprang from the
fact that he is one Of the few citizens
Of Lincoln who have honestly declared
their personal property for the purpose
Of taxation.
At this moment Mr.. Bryan stands at
the very centre and heart of the De
mocracy, in daily, almost hourly, contact
with the people and the leaders in all
parts of the country. He rose from OBJ
security to this commanding position by
sticking to principle regardless Of conse-
quences. As he stood OH the lawn in
- "iit VI HIS slnlplc ubile IuIS Ul0EHlHS,
the incarnation Of manly strength and
courage, proud of his Americanism and
glorying III the rough righteousness Of
the masses, ! could not help contrasting
him with another figure I saw in the
yellow gaslight OF London night only
few weeks ago-WilIiam Waldorf AS
tor, thrilling in the presence of an Eng
lish duke. These two men represent
the two extremes of present tendencies
on this continent.
UPON THE OLD AND UPON THE
NEW ISSUES DEMOCRACY
WILL WIN.
Democratic success in 1900"
he said, lis becoming more and