Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1900-08-03
BRYAN the Man.

a pen picture or Mr. bryan at home,
among his children or with his neigh.
bors, or on bis well kept farm, would
reveal a kindly, upright, debt-psying,
unassuming citizen, full of gentle,
rollicklng humOr-a man without an
impure thought or an impure act 1t
would portray profoundly religious
| Presbyterian, without cant or presump-
tuous piety; a man who neither drinks
alcohol nor smokes tobacco, and yet
does not deny other men the right to do
so-frequently offering cigars TO bis
friends; graceful horseman, an expert
! hunter, generous host. His books
and lectures have given him large in-
come, but he has spent more than half
of it in establishing college and school
prizes and contributions to political
| organizations. Although he has been
lawyer, editor, member of congress and
successful author and lecturer, his
entire wealth today does not exceed
S25, 900; not because he could not be
richer If he chose to be, for be declined
an offer of $4,000 year a little lees
than four years ago.
But these are not the things which
show Bryan, the man, as the public
should know him. They relate rather
to his private life; and a man may have
two natures, one private and the other
public. Private virtue and public vir-
tue are not inseparsble A man may
be tue to his wife and children and
yet be quite capable of wronging q
stranger.
1t is rather the manhood of Mr.
Bryan as political leader that inter
ests the nation just now. A single in
cident will give the reader q KEY to Mr..
Bryan's nature as public man. I'm
medlately after his nomination for
president in 1896 Mr.. Bryan went to
Salem, bis birthplace, partly to see his
sister and partly to visit his mothers
newly made grave went to Salem IN
the car which carried the democratic
leader. 1t was said that Mr.. Bryan
would make a speech at some station
on his journey, and when asked him
about it, he said:
81 intend TO make speech for one
purpose only. | have always thought
that in our politics we pay too much at
tention TO the candidates and not enough
attention to the principles and policies
they stand for. We have had too much
mud-sllnging. Either Mr.. Mckinley or
| will be the next president of the
United States. 1t does not matter
much to this country which man gets
the office, but 1t matters very much
which national policy is indorsed. |
intend TO make q speech which will
prevent, as far as have the power to
prevent, any personal mud-slinging at
Mr. Mckinley. 1t will be ga invitation
to clean campaign. If l can not be
elected president can at least do some
thing to inaugurate decent manners in
our national politics"
When the train stopped and Mr..
Bryan made his speech, he paid q trib-
ute to Mr.. McKinley's merits ss a stain
less private citizen that sstonished and
even shocked his partisans. That was
Bryan, the man.
Mr.. Bryan's three great attributes are
deliberstion. decency and honesty. He
is intensely American in all that distin-
guisbes an American from European.
He has the same square, jawed courage,
broad humanity and quaint dignity
that made Abraham Lincoln the typi-
cal American of his day. He has Liza
coins deep religious feeling and Lin
coins unwaveriDg faith in the declara-
tion Of independence as sure political
guide. He is North America persona
fed, with all its continental prejudice
and confidence. Living in the very
heart of the continent, surrounded by q
rich country, as yet undeveloped, he
cannot see why the American govern.
ment should seek to establish colonies
In Asia by bloodshed, when American
soil calls for industrious inhabitants.
He sees the trust system rapidly mar
rowing the opportunities of young men
at home, while the government is pre-
tending to offer them opportunities
abroad. He believes in his own coun-
try, in its material strength and its
moral leadership among the nations of
the world. He has the hope of youth,
of good health, of sound morals. He
losthes unnecessary war, and, being by
nature civilian, ne refuses to use the
soldiers coat he wore during the Span
ish- american war as political adver.
tisement. The black charger he rode |
at the head Of his regiment now carries