The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-01-24
Mr.. Bryan's Farewell.

Mr.. Bryan, like the late Cardinal
Wolsey, bids, with tears in his eyes,
farewell, long farewell, to all his
greatness. To some it might seem
more accurate to say his dreams or
his hopes of greatness. We are not
sure, however, that the greatness of
candidacy, of diurnally posing before
the public eye and of making his own
personality the paramount issue of
once great party's campaign, was not
to him greatness almost as satisfy
ing as actual accession to the Presi-
dency would be to others. Unlike
Wolsey, however, in his lament he
casts chief blame not on his own mis-
guided zeal, his misplaced confidence
and his high blown pride and ambi-
ton, but rather upon the treacherous
desertion of his cause by Democratic
leaders 1t was because they would
not follow him that defeat came The
men who were Democratic standard
bearers before he was known even as
a boy orator declined to bow even to
his imperious will. Hence Mr.. Bryan's
tears. 1t is quite true that they did
not follow him, but it may be doubted
whether they were therefore guilty
of desertion. "Indian not lost - eX-
claimed the wandering savage. 'Wig-
wan lost. Tribe lost. Indian not
lost. Indian here y 1t is the role of
that Indian which Mr.. Bryan has as
sumed.
Mr.. Bryan has apparently never
recognized, and now in his farewell
scene does not recognize, his own rad
ical departure from Democratic prin-
cipals and his own surrender-in an
other case he might call it treacher-
ous-to Populism, Socialism and
Anarchy. His fondness for quoting
from Jefferson seems to indicate that
he regards himself as being the Gus
todian of the true Democratic faith,
once delivered and ever since kept
unchanged. He seems to be still
blind to the fact, so obvious to the
vast majority of his fellow citizens,
that almost every one of his para
mount issues is directly opposed to
the traditions and practice of the
Democratic party His opposition to
National growth and expansion, his
efforts to cripple and circumscribe
governmental authority, his assault
upon the integrity and independence
of the judiciary, his campaign against
sound money and National credit, his
incendiary appeals to class hatreds,
are all directly contrary to the pre-
cept and example of his gratest pred
ecessors in Democratic leadership.
The real Democrats did not de-
sert him. He wandered away from
them. The tribe and the wigman are
where they were. 1t is the one lone
Indian who is wandering in the will
derness, protesting that it is not he
but the wigwam that is lost.
I'LL III Oil liliSs anu, " ItdllLo uOW
he himself has played the part of a
trimmer. When the war fever swept
the land and brass buttons were
badges of pc pularity he FASTENED to
seek commission and to raise regi-
ment, and then with the return of
peace took up the burden of his
prophecy against the sins and the
menace of militarism. When the ma
ton was rejoicing in the Treaty of
Paris he put himself forward as the
advocate of its ratification; yet few
months later he organized the ex-
tremest antagonism to the fulfilment
of its terms. He inveighed against
trusts, yet he hobnobbed and COOP
Grated with and sought the support
of the heads of some of the most Of
fensive trusts in existence. He de-
claimed austerely against corruption,
yet in the very heyday of red light
debauchery he made himself the
sworn blood comrade of the high
priests of iniquity, and effusively and
ostentatiously proclaimed that" Great