Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-06-28

a man of the people-the common peo-
pie as he delights to call them. He is
certainly a man of deep-rooted con-
victions and above all a manly man.
He has elements of greatness and
even his political enemies admit that
he has made the greatest uphill fight
ever attempted by an American states
man. In private conversation there is
not republican leader prominent to-
day in the councils of his party but
what will ungingerly admit that Vim.
| j. Bryan is a great man in many re-
spects.
"The business interests of the coun-
try, while admitting his greatness,
profess to fear him because of what
they claim, with more or less truth,
is his socialistic or radical heresies. In
fact they fear his election
more because of the people
who are identified with him and
who naturally would come into his
councils were he elected president.
When the platform at st. Louis was
read previous to adoption and the mon
ey plank was reached Mr.. Bryan's re-
poseful face was lighted with IN eager
look. His wonderfully expressive eyes
flashed, and, when its adoption was
so unsatisfactory to the radical silver
element that they walked from the
.halIs led by Teller and Towne, he
smothered his own opinions and filed
with startling rapidity kilograms TO
his papers stating the facts without Z.
single comment Of the many that must
have flashed to his mind.
tSyN1,n,, H.. of N
Kinley was made many of the news
paper men joined in the demonstration,
that followed and acted, with delegates
and audience, with less reason than is
usually employed by brokers in a
wheat pit upon an active market.
They Joined in the huzzas and yelled as
loud as any republican Indian in the
| bunch of 1900 and odd delegates.
During all the scenes of tumult,
when the strains OF the band were
smothered by frantic cheers, Mr.. Bry-
an sat with a look of defiance, his lips
closely drawn, fling his dispatches and
keeping the messenger boys going at a
lively pace.
Joe Mitchell Chappell, editor of the
National Magazine, has frequently
since then asserted his belief that it
was at that moment during the dem
onstration of JOY at a party's choice
that William j. Bryan made up his
mind to run for president, and the
comparatively unknown newspaper
man there received an inspiration that
j a few weeks later swept the Chicago
/ convention as a tidal wave.
4 'The subtle and unexpected inter
relation of events in presidential cam
4 paigns had been again asserted.
/ AT Chicago convention had as
sembled, over two-thirds of the mem
bers of which favored the free coinage
of silver at the ration of 16 to I.
s'They knew, evidently, what they
/ wanted, but no man had been found
who could condense their ideas and
put them in presentable or tangible
form until after a score of speakers
had been heard. Then this young
physical and intellectual giant from The
west arose and, in his clear, bell-like
resonant voice, told those assemble
representatives of latter day democ
racy just what they wanted.
He was a political Messiah come St
them and they embraced him.
"As he Hundreds: Thou shalt no
east down upon the brow of labor Z
crown Of thorns, nor cruelty manlint
upon a cross of gold his hearers wen
fairly wild and from that moment tn.
l,chances for the nomination of that
veteran champion of the free coinage
of silver-Richard p. Bland-wen
Eglimmering thru the skylights of tne
n convention hall.
MIR. Bryan is strenuous man, in.
Edeed."