The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-23
POLITICAL NOTES.

POLITICAL NOTES.
In letter to the Chicago Record W. Z. Cur.
It's draws the following interesting portrait OF
Colonel Bryan: "Those who have had an OPP
portunity to observe Colonel Bryan under var
ous conditions agree that there have been
| notable charges in his character and manners
and in his habits Of thought since he came so
prominently before the public in 1896 as cam
ddate for the presidency. In appearance he
has aged considerably during the past four
| years. He has lost most of the hair on the top
| Of his head, and retains only the heavy cata-
| ract that hangs as a fringe around the base
| of his ccrebclum and rests upon the collar Of
his coat Mr.. Bryan's face is much stronger
| and fuller than it was four years ago. He
| has gained considerable flesh, notwithstanding
| his arduous work upon the stump and platform,
| and weighs between thirty and forty pounds
| more than in 1896, tipping the scales at an easy
200. This increase shows in his face, as well
| as in the regions of his waistcoat. His cheeks
are fuller, the dimple his chin is more
apparent and his jowl is heavier. That Mr.
| Bryan leads abstemious life and eats frugal
| fare is easily evident from his clear eyes and
! complexion He is Of small appetite and
| simple tastes, neither a glutton nor a wine
! bibbcr, although not a teetotaller either in
| theory or in practice. He never uses wines or
|
| both when offered him at the tables of others;
| but he keeps a bottle of whiskey-or rather, Mrs
| Bryan does-on the top shelf of the pantry,
not for convivial, but medicinal purposes. This
! bottle has been called for at times to revive
| the dropping strength and spirits of the states.
| men from Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and
other states, but is never produced until called
| for. Colonel Hay, the secretary of state, has
| an engraved portrait of a famous cardinal of the
| fifteenth century that might be easily mistaken
! for President Mckinley. Colonel Bryan also
| would make a handsome priest, and the scarlet
robes of the cardinal have seldom set off a finer
| face figure. He has more OF the physical,
| intellectual and oratorical qualifications for an
| ideal clergyman than Mckinley. His abstem.
| iousncss, his indifference TO luxury, his emo
| tional nature and his intensity of purpose would
| have made him Loyola, or Savonaroa, or a
| Peter the Hermit, il he had lived in the middle
| ages. Bryan's face, have said, is stronger,
| the lines around his mouth frmer, and show
more rCposc Of manner than formerly. He has
lost that restless, inquring expression that used
| to lie about the eyes, and he evidently has more
strength and confidence more deliberation and
determination and less energy His nervous i'm.
rctuousLeSs has been subdued He is governed
more by reason and less by impulse. Exper-
! fence has taught him where he is weak and
| he has mended himself He has learned his
strength and that has given him confidence. His
friends in Lincoln Say that he has become con.
yinced that he is man Of destiny; that his.
| tory is waiting to record his acts in the regen.
| Grafton of scciaty for he thinks he Is absolutely
certain to become president of the United States
sooner or later. ms purpose is to establish
reign Of democracy, to elevate the poor and
| to deprive the rich Of the power they now ex.
| crcise These ideas have been assiduously cul.
| tivatcd by Mrs. Bryan, whose thoughts are
all centered in him. This accounts for Bryan's
positveness in political matters, Those who
| know him best say that he would have de-
| clined the Kansas City nomination il l6 to l
had been left out Of the platform, and that
his threat 20 do so was no bluff"
Says ]. Sterling Morton: "The Kansas City
| convention did not realize the absurdity Of its
accommodation of the interference by federal
thorties in local affairs. The Chicago platform
| Of 90 which was readopted at Kansas City,
distinctly says: we especially object to gov.
| cnment by injunction as a new and highly
| dangerous form of oppression, by which federal
judges, in contempt Of the laws OF the states
and the rights of citizens, become at once legis.
lators, judges and executioncrs,' Since that
! fabbCTGastiC ofusiOn was originally proclaimed
the house of representatives and the senate of
the United States without a dissenting voice
have approved the action Of President Cleve.
! land in putting down the Chicago riots with
| the United States army. In addition to this
confirmation Of the lawful and just course Of
President Cleveland, the Supreme court of the
| United States in the Debs case, also without
dissent affirmed the authority OF the exccu-
tive to do Just what Mr.. Cleveland did in Chi.
! Cago. But what is the house Of representative 5:
what is the senate OF the United States; what
| is the Supreme court of the United States, as
deliberative bodies engaged in impartial re.
search and calm consideration when compared
to the bowling dervshes who engaged in cake.
walking and climbing tables at Kansas City
and allowing their platform TO be made by dele.
gates from Hawaii, Oklahoma and Indian terri
tory, which cannot contribute an electoral vote
TO their ticket"
The anti.imperialist cry now is, says the
Washington Star, that the Philippines are being
held in the interest of syndicates and will be
exploited for their benefit. But then il is to be
remembered that the men who make this charge
are the authors Of the charge that our own
country here is in the tolls of syndicates; that
comparatively few men dominate everything;
that we have little left Of a republican form
of government but the name. The two
charges, springing from the same source, are to
be considered together, and il both are true then
it is high time that get not only out Of
the Philippines hut out of the United States
But if, on the other hand, both charges are false
and made yociferously at this time merely tor
campaign purposes-our success at home here
is the fullest assurance need that shall
succeed in the Philippines also. And il We
accomplish for the Filipinos only a tithe Of
what we have accomplished for ourselves, we
will confer upon them blessing great as
any that ever fell to the lot Of a primitive
people
The feeling which has brought about a tenn.
porary fusion between the Republicans OF Ken
tucky and Democrats opposed to the Goebel
election law is illustrated in the following re.
mark of Colonel W. C. p. Breckenridge, who
is an active supporter Of John W. Yerkes, the
Republican gubernatorial nominee; "When you
pick up club to kill a rattlesnake you don't
stop to look for artistic beauty, but for a