Hutchinson gazette., 1900-08-09
AN ENEMYs ESTIMATE.

LIE w dhlllnRlOn oSt NulOl 10
republican in politics, pays the follow
ing handsome tribute to the character
Of william j Bryan as a man, u cit
i2en aid party leader:
Mr. Bryan is the one democrat
alive who can develop the party's Ut
most strength this year. Not only do
democrats give him their unreseIyed
respect and condolences they now recog
nl2e his absolute honesty and his mag
niflcent, answering courage, With
him as the leader all is not harmony
but without him the democratic party
would be an incoherent and hettro-
gcneous mob, He does not, like Mr.
Nc Kinley, appeal TO the sentimental
side Of men. He does not, again like
his antagonist, win personal affection.
He is strenuous dominant, compelling,
He does not consult or seek advice, or
lean upon another. He Is a captain, a
Nom maAder, Il law puto himself.
!, "lour,yeGgs agO ~ leaped iioni com.
paratiye obscurity to the leadership Of
party which MIR, Cleveland had prac.
tically wrecked, In the eyes Of the
country at large he seemed an acc-
dent-the Grotesque fruit of divided
counsels; the product of despair; the
caprice Of an idle and hopeless mcod.
lie was young; his record hlE ted at no
special brilliancy and his achievements
warranted but very modest expectation
for the future, Nevertheless he did
magnetic ten thousand men Assem-.
bled in the Chicago convention hall as
surely no similar audience was magnet
lied before and he did this less by any
gift of rhetoric or trick Of eloquence
than by the overwhelming passion Of
his earnestness and the irresistible
force Of his convictions, He was not
the evolution of deep laid scheme He
was not the result of carefully con-
trived conspiracy. He was the spon.
taneous choice of every democrat with
in hearing of his ringing word--within
the influence of his tremendous person
ality, The astounding campaign
which he conducted subsequently has
no parallel in thechronicles of Ameri-
can politics. Almost unknown, backed
by no party organization worthy Of
serious considerations without money;
abandonded by the Cleveland faction
ridiculed and misrepresented; fighting
against the most desperate odds, in
cluding the democratic administration
and all its hirelings and beneliciaries
this youth stranger from the far West
brought out nearly a million votes
more than Cleveland with all his east
ern millionaires behind him had been
able to summon to the polls four years
before, and forced the republican party
to levy on every Gad's Hill in the land
for its salvation.
mo one today affects to hold Mr.,
Bryan in contempt, No man at once
intelligent and honest ventures to is.
miss him from the equation Of 1900 as
a factor Of small consequence Even
the New York Sun, perhaps the most
ardent and eager republican organ in
the country, felt called upon some
weeks ago to pay tribute to the mans
consistency and courage. Indeed Mr.
Bryan stands upon his feet, perfect
specimen of physical, intellectual
strength. He is no trimmer. He does
not 90 to the people for assurance and
encouragement, lie draws them to him
and holds them by his unalded powers
His face reveals his character II is q
face without softness aud equally with
out cruelty, it is face Of man who
dcea not WELD who cannot he tempted
caioled the face Of one who believes
absolutely IL himself, the face Of an
enthusiast but a lead, and q giant
among men.