The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-12
THE DESCENT OF BRYAN.

/ The DESCEN
Mr.. William Jennings Bryan came to
town Sunday morning. Ills arrival caused
no commotion whateverE in the convention
crowds There was no rush to- see him
to-, clasp his hand, n toScatch the words
from: his lips. His coming evoked only tho
mildest5s sort OF interest You could hardly
call tho crowds attitude towards N him
Indifference yet that@at t,de'9 was /. very
neart to lndifference.b.,lt was an4a ttltutuc3
co r the spirit and temper which,
marked !shis appearance t. Kansas ely
four years Al go. az 3tsaddened one to re-
member hoy eight,ysars sg9 Ihe eomiiI [
his name, how his u tterances were tnIlll,
ing the. popular heart how he Sc med s,
INDEED e the PILLAR Of people pc me
ny Sunday afternoon Mr.. Bryan issued g
statement 3ass to his position. with regard
to the situation confronting h1s /; pa !,
;ment,@ which eight years ago would have
been the topic ora thousand tons es;
was received by he party lea dels J. and {
excitement. 1t was lost in The ocean Q
convention news In tho Monday mornin y!
papers. Y was only an Interesting Incl
paa gEoryof ihis St
What change has come over Mr.. Bryan
that he should figure so poorly in 4 the
the party e nse
less champion? He lis much the same IN
appearance. though his face s has some
what ardened in its lines. His manner
is as of old. but for q lack OF that as
sured buoyancyE and $frankness 5Whic Il once
rendered lit so fascinating. In that man
ner the assurance is still In evidence, but 4
used to know Ills franknesse persist IS IN
lingering traces, but it has touches Of
sophistlcated observation that makes !ssa y
seem much Ikea p mask BOf purposes. a
Individually the glamor8 g romance has
some mysterious fashion vanished I from
this mani Inv The lastt-few years, He Us
sfpp p bgs
place. That lie could never be, wit n. his
deeds and sayings still I, fires III III, mems
partRa
fate may have in store for him. q That his 4
career is over cannot#be assumed, for ne
still possesses nc little OF that personal
ness of feeling, that aptness Of phrase
which must ever characterize "a tribune
Of the people. indeed, mus \; !. Mr.
fore it shall be safe Ito say that he is d
a negligeable quantity in the higher poll
tics Of this nation; but that his position n
Is not what 1t was is plain to the simplest
What Is it that has caused this changer.
in the first y ,5 Br ~ e
involve something Of & esca pei from the
qualities of 5picturesqueness, Of audactty.8S
Of spontaneous utterance. Which..co Sill
tute spell that gifted youthalmposes
III OF us move away from our
earliest enthusiasms. All OF JUS are Vie
Tins Of Illusion. " e are not quite SO 2 4
everything The cynic4 strain crops b out II
in us, d agains our vii Most OF our 4
ideals become a little furnished by COT ?,
trying TO realize those ideals. Mr.. Bryan
is no exception to. the rule. We cannot
help but note that his fervor,is sorneWlla u
that his hopes have been defeated. ~
pity we find ourselves forced toEthe8 s .Is.
piclon, If not the conviction, hat This
leader is a disappointed man: He may be I
or1in both. but .disapp q he Is Els \
mood Us not surly, Is nneid,
and generosity of outlook upon Ills time
aud his contemporaries which lent charm
to his early state q sleadersh,p..I ne
But II cannot be said that he has broad
ened in his views, or tina 81 the wider SYN
thesis that comes with years I. has mel
that fresh, large utterance, which, sspring
ing from a heart simple!nnd strsng, finds
StraightWay all kindred shearts-7thes Vi ter
vention OF 1896 and drew the. millions to !
hear him In the most ma ryelous fca,nl,a Ign
IN the history of Americana olit les. Mr.fi
ayaa as hs p6Msrs hpo
q few years ago had been too mean Tor
his. consideration Vi Il.
rights Of mankind In 1886 and 1900 y we.
lind trying to organize a. tatterde Ion
faction OF obscurantists and Constructions.
lists against the plainly perceptible spirit
Of tho time in 1904. Blu t few years q 80
fell from his lips In phrases losing none
Of their power because toned and touched
wlttpthe viltllty that Gomez to the speech,
OF man who has famillarIzed himself
Sth the s kns sas
ts s Us II Nj RlplIass earlier work.
but as Mr., Kipling has lat terly beconle g
pa,mphleteer q faetlorat me faiian
generated Into d something not q great
deal removed from billingsgate, and the
content Of his expression: ls AL RACED .o
who for so i6ng took higher and broader
ground of thought and q ctlon, MI
hryans phraseology ssife d lto ptallr
sars b il goIs s s9sh
reroration. OF Chicago. who 50 effectively
annsd e the sgsis e esata geaT gg
descended 10 assertion that a. candidate
for President, whom hn, does not AZ 81 ,i
has bought up lions ~ Z, !, !, thf ~
ed so ,eloquently for Ia bor, for he free g,
dom of money from lgarch Nc * ao q
for the rights OF man pln 1s y
rivals and explieatorY of the nasty CON- !,
tests between certain 81 Ate fac tons. ~
equally Ycnal and al, compared g win
g3orlied humanity lis now as persing J, by
jnsinnation, inn nndo aud open eeltsp4il %
the Integrity Of all who In his party m y.
party that thonorod him, hal, sti u lloHors
Inn INTACT, though tal tins SIDE :, ,, o.