Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-10-28
EIeCtiOn---Tuesday, Nov. s. 1904,
BRYAN AS A FACTOR.

Mr.. Bryan has been active in the
present campaign. That the campaign
could not have gotten along without
him is patent to all. His tour through
Indiana, has held the party together
there, and averted a Waterloo for
Parker. The silver vote was drifting
to Tom Watson-drifting fast, but
Mr.. Bryan went into the State and 1t
is believed has persuaded that clement
to vote for Parker. A staff correspon-
dent of the Chicago Tribune writes:
bryan is saving thousands of votes
in Indiana. His crowds have been the
only ones of any magnitude during
the campaign. Bryan has stopped the
landslide against Parker among the
Old Silver Democrats. The wisdom
of Tom Taggart in bringing Bryan in
to Indian, has been fully justified be-
cause enormous audiences all over the
country have demonstrated that the
Nebraska leader still possesses all his
old time magnetism"
may not be able to hold enough DEM
ocrats to carry Indiana. be has been
the only man who could hold the party
together there. Again We see that the
party today would be powerless with
out him, and we see further that what
Is left of Democracy to-day is largely
due to the power of his leadership.
There is no use attempting to deny the
fact that Notwithstanding Bryan has
been vilified and belittled by persons
claiming to be Democrats, he is the
only man in either party in the Uni
ted States, who has any personal fol-
lowing, and the only enc who has
demonstrated many of the attributes
of leader.
Neither Mr.. Roosevelt nor Mr.. Par
ker has any personal following, OF are
born leaders. Those who vote for
them do so for other reasons than be-
cause they hold them in peculiar es
TEEN. Mr.. Roosevelt SO far rs we
know, has not a personal friend liz the
world. He has persons about him
who are the recipient of bis bounty.
but they are not personal followers
they would follow anybody else as
readily under the same circumstances.
Mr.. Parker's following, comes to
him because those who vote for him
believe In what he stands for and in
bis integrity, and not because they
have any peculiar love for him.
But with Mr.. Bryan this is different.
His crowds gather because it is Bryan.
His audiences shout because they feel
peculiar enthusiasm aroused by his
actions, his words, and his personel
No other man in public life to day,
can equal, none can even be remotely |
classed with him in magnetism or in. |
f1uence, none can gather such audlen- |
ces, and none can hold them as be |
Only recently, Senator Martin spoke |
in StauntOn, and brought with him a |
gentleman who has reputation as a |
fpeaker. Both were widely adver-
tised. and yet both did not draw a |
crowd large enough to fill the small
area of the Hastings Court room.
Some time ago Mr.. Bryan spoke in |
Staunton in aid of a church. The
church was not Mr., Martini church,
nor the Hon. Harry st. Geo. fuckers |
church, and yet Mr. Bryan drew both |
these gentlemen to Staunton, We cite
this simply as an incident, showing
that it is not always the rabble who
rush to hear him, and that he can draw
a crowd where others utterly fail, |
and high classed crowd at that.
The fact remains and must remain |
undisputed, that possibly the Demo |
cratic party cannot win with him, but
1T is certain that it cannot win without |
him. and it is further certain that in |
this campaign he Is doing more to in |
sure Democratic success than any 9th
er one man upon the hastings.