The midland journal., 1900-03-02
Friday, March 2, 1900.
Bryan's Popularity.

The great wise ones who claim to lead
and direct public opinion, to pull down
and set up, to exalt or damn a cause, are
all at sea over Bryan's popularity and
power as a leader With sll the power OF
concentrated wealth, and all the great
newspapers of the eastern and middle
States, and of the large cities everywhere,
a yainst him. with a cause that is dead"
a yainst him; with the leaders of the old
time Democratic party plotting against
him. and yet he steadily triumphs over all
this opposition, secretly and openly array
ed against him, and in spite Of all this
mighty opposition Bryan, they are forced
to admit, is to be the nominee of the
Democratic party without rival appear
ing to oppose him. The wise ones, the
great generals in the political armies, can
not understand how it is their strtegy has
all come to naught, that their flank move
,nents have all been checkmated and they
have been beaten before gun has been
fired.
The source of Bryan's great power
though great puzzle to the wise ones
who have been educated in the school OF
inammon, is very plain 10 those who have
mingled with the people. Bryan is but
the voice of the multitude. He has been
given the power ofexpression to put into
common language the thoughts, the
! a.. Of f.fO n flta
great mass of the American people. They
have felt the wrongs under which they
have suffered, but have been unable TO
clearly locate them; they have been mis-
led and mystifed by former leaders.
Bryan has given language to the great
unrest and unspoken wrongs which the
people know they are suffering.
When Bryan came the multitude that
were suffering knew as it were by instinct,
that lie was their divinely appointed
tribune. They recognized in his voice the
thoughts they felt but without power to
express. The multitude felt that their
wrongs and their undigested thoughts
were finding utterance by the voice OF
their ORDAINED IeaQer. 1Hey DeileFS
BRYAN and follow him because his words
are their words which they have long
striven to give utterance to but could not
The cause which is proclaimed ''deada
by the great newspapers, the great wealth
associations which represent banks, com.
merce, trusts, stock gambling; the gteai
preachers who fill the pulpits of million
aire churches the professors who have
sold themselves to the endowers and
founders of colleges; that cause is moi
dead, but is the only really living cause
i'll the political world at the opening oi
the twentieth century. The principles
that Bryan stands for are immortal and
cannot die. They have lived on through
the ages and are stronger and greater
today than ever since the dawn of civiliza
tion. The powers of evil that have seized
the Republican party are but the gal
vanized life of a dead past Of tyranny and
oppression, and the halo and glamoi
abont it is but the PHOSPHORUS light ol
decay and dissolution.
Bryan's voice and eloquence are the
words that cry aloud from the great pal
pitating heart of the people calling fol
Justice. Hence the power that is tramp
ling under his feet the great newspapers,
the false prophets and leaders of the old
Democratic party servants of the pagod oi
wealth with front of brass and feet oil
clay" Bryan's voice is but the echo oil
the cry from the peoples heart for justice.
Hence his power.