Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-02-10
BECAUSE 1T PAYS.
That is One Reason for Bryan's per
sistent Self-Advertisement.

Mr.. Bryan is using the Democratic
party as a billboard for his personal
advertising. What other sufficient ex-
PLANTATION can be found for the curious
affair at the Madison Square Garden
Concert hall on Tuesday evening?
Mr.. Bryan has been twice the candi-
date of the party; his behavior indi-
Gates that he considers himself its
leader. By his trip abroad and his ut.
terances since IS return he has kept
himself conspicuously before the pub
lie. Yet when he comes to New York.
Mr.. Murphy, the local Democratic
leader, betakes himself to Michigan.
No man of the organization calls up
on him Or pays him any attention.
No party, no association. no commit.
tee invites him to speak. He hires q
small hall himself-or it is hired for
him-and personally invites the cler.
gymen of the city to come and hear
him talk. A good many clergymen &C.
cepted his invitation. The clergymen
OF New York, we presume, know their
Goethe pretty well. They remember
that when Wagner says to Faust. 81
have heard 1t sa.- that a comic actor
caninstruct a parson." Faust replies.
Yes, when the parson himself is a
comedian" With training and oppor-
tunity Mr.. Bryan would have adorned
the comic stage. With more sincerity
and conviction to his credit lie would
have adorned the pulpit. Probably 1t
Is worth the while of any preacher to
hear Mr.. Bryan talk and observe his
method. This may have been the &C.
tuating motive with many Of the gen.
tlemen of the cloth who attended Mr..
Bryan's meeting.
Mr.. Bryan said absolutely nothing
that any sensible man need hear or
would care to hear from him. He dis.
cussed the use of money in politics.
the tariff and imperialism, but those
subjects are all the time under dis.
cussion by Democrats ADLER. better in.
formed and more sincere than him
self. Then he Haunted the tattered
remnants OF his 16 to | doctrines, at
a time when leading Democrats all
over the country with remarkable un-
animity are declaring bimetallism
to be a perfectly dead issue. and are
industriously tearing off the. Bryan
label.
What a it all mean? Merely that
MIR. Bryan, seeing that his party has
dropped him. feels that he must re-
double his efforts TO keep himself in
sight. To be dropped is for him not
merely a humiliation, It is ruin. He
has no trade or profession. He de-.
nounced the theory that government
can properly be used as a means of
bringing pecuniary advantage to those
who control 1t. viii it pay?' has
been substituted for is 1t right"
Evidently Mr.. Bryan thinks il will
pay to hire halls and invite himself
to address those who accept his inyi-
tation to hear him. He is making
a use OF a political career for a per-
sonal advantage. There is no other
explanation that fits the case. A sin.
cere and burning desire to promote
the acceptance OF the principles he
advocates would not account for his
performances, since the chief public
effect of his pernicious activities must
be to continue in power the party Of
the tariff and the trusts. Moreover.
Mr.. Bryan has of late shown that he
is fond OF money. Mr.. Mitchell of the
Mine Workers Union refused the 9th
er day to accept a modest increase
of his annual salary. Mr.. Bryan In
the Bennett will fight resists by ev-
cry means in his power the attempt
to break his clutch upon a bequest
that is legally d%isputable and morally
without justification. His newspaper,
the Commoner. is understood to be
prosperous, but 1t would cease to be
so II its proprietor were deprived of
his chief assets, publicity.-New York
Times.