Potosi journal., 1903-07-22
FINDS HIS LEVEL AT LAST.
Bryan Has Finally Come Down to Wis
Proper Place in Public
Life.

Intelligent readers who had curiosity
enough TO read the report OF Mr.. Bryans
speech at Greenfield must have been
struck by its low tone. Mr.. Bryan has
occupied a large space in the public eye
and in recent political history. He is
far from being a great man, but man
who has been twice nominated for pres
dent and has been the principal crater
in both campaigns ought to have some
knowledge and grasp of rGblic questions
and some ideas above those Of a cross
roads politician. Mr.. Bryans speech
did not show anything of the kind, says
the Indianapolis journal. 1t was not
merely partisan speech, but parti-
san speech from low and narrow point
of view. In the campaigns of 1896 and
1900 he was often eloquent. as political
oratory goes and stirred his audiences
to high enthusiasm because he was ad-
vocating a policy which. however dis
honest and vicious it was he thoroughly
believed in He was not master of his
subject because he was on the wrong side
of the question. but he was thoroughly
imbued with it. and in both campaigns
he held pretty wcll mp to the standard
| of his ''crown-of-thOrES-an
gold speech" which nominated him. But
| with the death and burial of free silver
! and 1G-to-l Mr.. Bryan's elnluence has
| departed. Samson strength departed
with his hair AS long as Mr. Bryan
was advocating q financial hcresy which
! he believed in and was full of he was
| eloquent in way and effective but that
| gone he has lapsed into vulgar common
placeness. He deals with small politics
and personalities. lie berates the re-
| publican party in a sort of country news
| paper style. compliments or abuses
| prominent Democrats by name accord
| ing as they are Bryan or anti-Rryan mon,
wishes we had more Tom Johnsons il
the country to whip bad men out Of
office" c0ngratulates the democrats oI
| Indiana on having "a man like John ".
Kern. who is not afraid TO stand mp for
| principles nat he believes are right. de-
clares that the policies Of the republican
party arc determined by less than one
hundred men. who rule the party with
rod OF iron" and so on for quantity.
This is very different from The Bryan
oratory of 1896 and 1900. when he was
imbued with an idea bad as il was, and
felt that he was riding on Tho top of a
wave that might carry him into thc
| White House and did come dangerously
near it. Mr.. Bryan is like a balloon
after the gas that hoated it has escaped
| He has s,lrlnk to the dimensions of {.
ranting partisan and ordinary politica,
slangwhanger He has foi,nd his levc!
EyPoltical experts in the cast adm il
the complete collapse Of the Cleveland
BOOM and by the same token. Of the
alleged Wall street opposition to the
denomination of President Roosevelt
As these discoveries were coincident
with the president return from his
western tour. it shows the experts can
read a handwriting on the wall when il
is large and n.-Indianapulis Jour
nal.
E-The Iowa idea may CT may no,
have been vindicatcd-just az the peo-
pIe think about that-but on the tariff
il is strictly republican and progressive
in tone. All factions in the party arf
agreed as to its essential enuDciations
and the harmony that manifests itsciI
everywhere among republicans means
great victory this fall-Cedar Rapid:
Record.
ErTtc Iowa idea of the democrat:
that their party was all wrong in 19o'
and 1896 is correct. Can they mentor
| The time when the party was rights
! Louis iobeDemocrat