Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1900-05-24
STRONG, SERENE ~
~ AND TRUE.
JAMES CREELMAN.


spoke the people said: "Ilow ell
oquent is Cicero!" But when De-
mosthenes spoke, the people said:
"Let us go against Philipp
There is something about Mr..
Bryan that makes all who asso-
riate with him more earnest, more
ready to make sacrifices, more in
different to mere abuse and more
intensely and peculiarly American.
There are no secrets in his life
To be with him is like walking on
the seashore in the sunlight. At
40 he has still the unsullied ideals,
the unbroken faith of IA boy. And
any man may be his comrade if he
will; nay, his very brother.
The other night in Chicago a
committee of strangers called to es-
cort Mr.. Bryan to a public ban
quet. Mr.. Bryan went on shaving
himself before a mirror, while he
talked to the committee, and pres
emily his visitors were busy putting
the studs in his shirt bosom. An
hour or two later he scared out of
himself in a really great Oration,
lifting his hearers to the supreme
heights of patriotic thOught-an
appeal for a Republic so just in all
its ways, so majestic in its virtue,
that all the nations of the world
would turn to it rs the arbitrator
of their differences.
Mr.. Bryan is temperance incar.
nate. He loves literature, rather
than art; the trout stream, rather
than the theater; the farm, rather
than the city; the small church
rather than the cathedral. He
loves man more than books, anC
books more than money.
There was time when Mr.
Bryan felt that some day the
crimes of lawless wealth and rapa.
ciOus corporate power against tn,
toilers of the country would hrins
on physical struggle and in thos,
days Mr.. Bryan was Il gladiator
with the fierce, unforgiving spirit
of Il gladiator. But new tender
ness of spirit has come into hi,
| life. He seems to be filled will
the idea that love is the only up
lifting force in the world, and tina
love is as necessary and as natura
in politics and craftsmanship as il
private affairs.
| have heard him talk of his en-
emies without a word of bitterness
| have heard him defend Mr.. Ne
Kinley from unjust attacks. ii,
loathes and avoids personalities o
abuse in conversation. This is ON,
of the nOblcst and most attractiv,
traits in his personal life. He i
decent and tolerant in his speech
fair, just, even-tempercd.
Two days ago II distinguishc,
woman said to me: "Iou hav,
associated with Mr.. Bryan IA grca
deal. Isn't it IL fact that he i
provincial; that he has not polisl
enough for the White House,"
1t is true that Mr.. Bryan is pro
vincial, but only in the SENSE tha
Abraham Lincoln was provincial
He is careless of his clothes, bu
careful of his morals. He canno
speak French or lead Il cotillion
but he can give you in the purcS
and sweetest English the story o
the struggle of man for liberty il
every age, and is familiar with tn,
solid literature of the world.
He has the outwardnpSS of
man who is big of mind, as well Il
of body. There is the ruggcdneS
of truth in all his ways. He live
simply and sometimes frugally, no
because he cares for money or be
cause he does not know that thcr
are other and more eXtravagan
ways, but because his tastes ar
simple. The very simplicity of hi
life and speech is corollary of hi
native dignity. His quaint point
are the quaintnesscs of his country
Like Lincoln, his peculiaritie
are the signs of his pure and undu
luted Americanism. Nothing ga
be more graceful than his unaffcct
ed, sincere home life. Ii may Il
truc that many of the present a.,