Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-18
eRlEvEs AT eRYAN,s MISTAKE

The severe criticism heaped upon
Mr.. Bryan recently by the Burlington
Journal is evidence of the fact that
the Nebraskan is rapidly losing infiu-
ence with his one-time most arduous
supporters There is a tone about the
Journals articles that bespeaks a feel
ing of bitter disappointment that the
. idol of the free silverites should have
adopted the course he has pursued
since the last presidential campaign.
The Journal pathetically exclaims:
mo one watches Mr. Bryans polit-
icalfcourse with deeper sense of hui
initiation and regret than those who
have believed in his sterling integrity
and his moral worth When he re-
tired to private life after the defeat of
1900 he carried with him the unquali.
fed respect Of the American people
BY way OF explanation for having
lost faith in the Nebraskan, the Journ-
al says:
"He returned to Lincoln and very
unwisely started a newspaper in which
he could express his views whether the
people cared for them or not That
business venture has been Mr.. Bryan's
undoing. Had he in 1901 gone to
5 Europe for few months and returned
home like any other American citizen
appearing in public only at the request
OF the people Mr.. Bryan would today
be the strongest political personality
in the United States. But he no SOON
er began the publication of the Com
moner" than he showed that he had a
Il grievance and If there is a thing in
this earth that an American had no re-
Spect for it is for the man with a sore
head y
After delivering this scathing crit
icism the Burlington paper seems to
have had an attack of "softening of it's
hard heart" and for one brief sentence
attempts to eXtenuate the actions of
Mr.. Bryan:
1T is not at all strange that Mr.
Bryan should not feel very friendly
to those of his own party who la
& bored to defeat him and he might have
been pardoned if he felt deeply upon
that subject, but he was not required
or expected to burden the columns
of his paper with bitter denunciations
of them nor tarvel about the country
arraigning them for party treachery
and treason even if they had been
& guilty OF both.''
And now the Journal offers its reas-
on for it's bitter censure. While it has
overlooked many other little sins it
finds it impossible to keep silent con-
corning the assault made by Mr.. Bry-
an on former President Cleveland at
that Ohio convention. 1t says:
Mr. Bryan's assault upon ex-Presi-
dent Cleveland at Urbana, Ohio Gf
correctly reported) this week is case
in point. 1t is easy to call names and
even a Billingsgate woman cannot
beat Mr.. Bryan at the business.To stig-
Matte Mr.. Cleveland as 'bunco steer
erin public address, was utterly be-
meath the position of Christian gen.
tleman, which Mr.. Bryan claims to
occupy. 1t matters nothing whether
the charge is true or not, nor whether
he used the epithet in real or figur-
ative sense, it was out Of place and
and wholly out Of character for him to
band the epithets of the Sums upon
such an occasion
In what seems to be note of warn
ing to Mr.. Bryan the Burlington pa
per eXclaims:
Mr.. Bryan has done and is doing
more than any other American citizen
y to lend importance and dignity to the
ex-president, and in fact, his name was
not regarded as remote possibility
in 1904 until Mr.. Bryan began to belab-
or him in terms not included in a gen
tleman's vocabulary. Mr.. Cleveland may
not be presidential possibility as yet
but the attention that is given him by
Mr.. Bryan adds greatly to his import.
ance. Let us have peace.'"
The Journal is evidently opposed to
the talk of Mr.. Cleveland for president
in 1904 and it sees in the epithets of
Mr.. Bryan one of the reasons for his
being so prominently spoken of in this
connection. 1t almost becomes des.
pendent over the outlook Of the party
4 for 1904, but is not able to offer any
suggestion of relief from its dilemma.
THE RAILROAD AS A PROMOTER.