The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-25
MIR. BRYAN AND HIS WEEKLY.


The Introductory address with when
Mr.. Bryan ushers his publication the
Commoner into public notice is a re-
narkable performance considered with
reference to its avowed object. AS de-
Tense of his adoption of the title which
heads his paper. different views will be
entertined of it; but as presentation of
the need or occasion for the publication
Itself, or of the principles in social and
economic science which the parer is de-
signed to advocate it is remarkab BILE for
its failure to offer the public any eniigilt-
eminent
| That Mr.. Bryan is man of high abfl-
ity is not to be denied He is educated
to the profession of the law AS public
advocate he has proven himself fit to
| cope with the ab!est men in the entire
! country. No man who has manifested his
ability in this particular direction to fine
extent to which Mr.. Bryan has is to he
regarded as other than well qualified
for the successful practice Of that profess
sion. While he has never appeared in
| any HGgated case to which public at
tenuon has been directed to any extent,
II Is generally accepted as true that Mr.
Bryan must of necessity be something OF
a lawyer. He may not be qualified TO
take rank among the leaders of the legal
profession; but neither is he qualified to
GO so in the ranks of the editorial CALI
ing. That much at least he has made
manifest during his editorial connection
with the World-Herald, of Omaha.
That such a man should embark him
self in the undertaking of conducting q
weekly paper, and when called on to en-
tighten the public as to the scope and
purpose of his undertaking viewed from
the polemical standpoint, Should conf1ne
himself 10 a dissertation on the fitness
OF the title which he has chosen for His
publication, Is in itself q noteworthy
fact. Mr.. Bryan cannot hope to revive
the free silver agitation That is as dead
as Julius Caesar. He is no longer &C
cepted by any fair proportion of the
American people as authorized to enun-
ciate the beliefs or policies of the party
whose candidate he was twice suece -s;vo-
: ~ for president. All he has to say has
presumably been said during the past
hVe years, while he stood in the glare
! OF The greatest publicity which could at
tend any man in The country. His yiws
and opinions found Eel sona1 expression in
every town of any size in the country.
1here can hardly be anyth ng new that
he has to say, unless he has advanced
along the lines Of populism TO tie inevi-
table goal of state socialism.
1t is truly high mission to speak for
the common people Of any country. AID
especially for the common peep,e Of nar-
haps the greatest country of modern
times. But surely Mr.. BRYAN cannot re-
main in the possession of his senses and
believe that he can successfully make a.
weekly paper the oracle Of the Ameri-
can commonalty, or, even of a respecta-
bic fraction Of them. The American peo-
pie of every rank look to the daily pa
Per for their Information and enIishten-
nnent on current events. Save in the
most backward sections the. daily pa
per circuiates everywhere in the United
States 1t does so because the people
want it, and are net to be held down
to vehicles of public Information or op.n-
ion which in the nature of things are
often forced to deal with events in many
Instances after they have last their in
terest to intelligent readers
1t might he better Il, as Ia Eur pc, the