The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-07-14
CHANGING TOWARD BRYAN.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer says that |
the goldbug press win have to adopt |
different tactics in fighting Mr.. Bryan |
this year from those they employed in
1896 if they would not drive voters to
him by hundreds.
-Four years ago." says our Cleveland
contemporary, when William ]. Bry-
an was nominated at Chicago in wave
of enthusiasm evoked by brilliant
speech, the nominee was a man of
whom the country had heard but little,
who had not been anywhere connected
with the candidacy in mems minds,
and who had no thought of what the
result would be when he made his cleo
trifying speech. Because he had not
previously filed a large place in the
public eye, because he was still a
young man, and because he had sud-
denly leaped into prominence through
a single speech, it was considered safe
by narrow-minded partisans to belittle,
to ridicule and to vilify him. Even
those of his own political party were
capacity and character by the least
| sensible and stable of those who
rushed to his banner. It was owing
| largely to these Misrepresentation Of
the man, and to that distrust of his
! Judgment, that he was defeated in the
| fierce campaign that followed his NOM
| ination. Organization, money, detrac-
| ton, persistent Misrepresentation, had
done their utmost, and yet 6,5O0,O0O
votes, out of total of less than A.
900, 900 for all the tickets in the field,
were cast for Mr.. Bryan. That of it
self was remarkable"
But the change Of sentiment has
been no less remarkable. The predic-
lions of Bryan's opponents that he
would disappear after his defeat and
be heard from no more were not full
! filled. He won friends in every state
and section. He has been winning
them ever since. People grew to love
the man for his honesty, his sincerity,
his courage, his American manhood.
1.-The supposition that he was a man
with but one idea was admitted to be
an utterly mistaken one" says the
| Plain-Dealer. He has shown a fac
ulty of discovering what are the real
questions of the day and of the future.
He separates those of temporary policy
only from those which have immutable
principles as their foundation. and il
is to the latter that he devOtes himself
with all the earnestness of a strong
character"
He is not a trimmer. He does not
seek to pacate factions by surrender
ing principle. He may have some OF
the qualifications supposed to be nee
essary to the successful politician, but
these are overshadowed by the ster-
ling qualities of the real Statesman
which he possesses in so eminent &
degree.
And the Cleveland paper tells why
the Republican press will do itself more
injury than it will be able to do Bryan
} in this campaign by renewing the dis
graceful tactics of four years ago.. ''NIr
Bryan has in the past four years shown
himself to be a close student and deer
thinker as well as an eloquent orator
and. above all, man of thorough sin
cerity. No one who has talked will
him can fail to be impressed with thi
fact. IT is the quality of honest con
5 viction that gives force to his clio
ouence and enables him to sway hi
: audiences. One may question the pol
icy of , IS course at times, but no on
can fail to respect the honesty tina
= will not permit him to sacrifice cOnviC
tions TO mere expediency. In some i'm
4 portant respects the William J. Brya
of today differs materially from tn
William ]. Bryan of 1896. He is
man of wider knowledge. of broade
views. of developed character an
: greater abilities. In all the importar
a quality of clear sincerity and unswerv
n ing devotion to his convictions of tn
t right, the Bryan of today has nc
e changed one particle from the Brya
L of four years ago. When Mr. Brya
l. has convinced himself of plain duty
II he has to perform, no question of part
: expediency or personal obligations ca
SNeINe MIN from II SuCI NAL
II whether political leader or man in Of
n flee, the people of the United State
IS have learned by experience of anotht
= kind TO hold in respect
And it is a notable fact that nearl
every paper that filled it's editorial co
Is umns~ with abuse of Bryan four yea
Il ago has taken tumble" as it wer
II The only sheets that sneer at the gre;
al silver champion these days are tho!
that never could be decent. or hay
) been carried away by the zeal whiC
l. characterizes the newly converted
st the freshly subsidized advocates of ar
n cause.
fe If they can hurt Bryan or silver
in is a sad reflection upon the intelligent
of the American voter