Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-12

idcy went WIG With enthusiasm AL
most before he himself knew what had
happened Bryan was enthroned as the
leader of the party and was hailed as
the Moses sent to deliver his people
from the Egypt of panic into
which democracy misrule had lured
them.
me presidential campaign OF 1896
VIII long be remembered as one of the
most notable political battles in the his
tory OF the nation. Bryan was the idol
OF his party. But few democrats fail
ed to fall under the spell of his elo-
quence. He felt sure of success and ac-
cepted the evidence of big attendance
Wherever he spoke as an indication
mat ne had many supporters. He
failed to make allowance for natural
curiosity. When the votes were count
ed it was found that he had failed. De-
feat was his portion. The American
public had not been fooled by his ora
torical fallacies. Mckinley was elect
ed over him and the republican poll
cies rescued the country from the road
to ruin, on which it had been started
by democratic errors in Cleveland's adj
Still did Bryan command the demo
cratic hosts. Four years ago, in Kan
sas City, he was again nominated for
the presidency. He was still the lead
er. His utterances were regarded al
most as sacred by his followers. and
his counsel was sought on every ques-
ton. The populists, caught with
democracy in the whirlwind, started by
Il ic Of nj IL
formed under his banner, taking the
place in the party that the gold demo-
Gratis had left vacant Again Bryan
fought as in 1896, and again was he
defeated at the polls
Then the democratic party began to
arouse from it's hypnotic condition and
to shake off the spell of the Nebras-
kan's oratory. The light of sane ar
gument was allowed to shine upon his
statements and his theories, and i'm
many who had been his
blind followers saw the error of their
way. The gold democrats had been
the first but they had been read out of
the party. They were welcomed back,
such as would come. The proposition
to reaffirm the free silver platform adj
vocated by the Nebraskan was brought
up and beaten at countless democratic
caucuses and later in conventions.
The Bryan element dwindled. Quietly
and so skillfully that it was not no.
ticed until it had become matured, an
anti-Bryan movement that reached into
the innermost circles of the party was
organized. That element continued to
grow stronger and stronger, and now,
lead by David Bennett Hill, 1t is ac-
knowledged to be the dominant force
in the democracy.
Eight years did Bryan pose as the
leader of the democratic party. On
the anniversary of his great triumph
came his fall Among the same men
who had eight years before welcome ed.
him with loud acclaim to the leader
ship, he 4, was discredited, utterly
laughed at. He made what was called
the strongest speech of the convention
in his effort to unseat the Hopkins
wing of Illinois democracy but on the
roll call which he demanded ne was
beaten by vote Of almost two to one.
In the resolutions committee he was
forced by the other members TO drop
once and forever his pet silver hobby
and he now stands apart from the old
leaders who have again come into their
own. He is beaten, defeated forever,
political derelict.
Bryan's career was that of disturb
er. He sought to overturn existing
conditions, to put into practice wild and
what have been demonstrated to be
unwise and impracticable schemes.
His failure is the inevitable fate Of
the disturber
How complete has been his descent
from power is shown more strongly
than in any other way by the harsh
criticism of his recent action by the
Chicago Chronicle, the recognized or
gan of the democratic party in the mid
die west. In speaking of his dramatic
attempt to assert his old leadership at
st. Louis this paper says:
Bryan came to ST. Louis to conquer
and was vanquished. He desired to be
renUminated for president and found
that not twenty Of the 1000 delegates
were prepared to support him. He
to insist on the unequivocal
reaft1rmation of the silver plank of the
Kansas City platform or bolt, but, after
a survey of the field, entered into ne
gotiations with Belmont, the Wall
street banker, who typifies the power
and influence that Bryan had marked
for destruction. for the creation of a
gold-standard plank.
He did this with full knowledge that
he was surrendering his fealty to silver
and aiding the democratic party to cut
loose from the most dangerous heresy
that was grated upon it in 1896.
Some among the delegates, who are
to hold him in pleasant re-
m embrance for the sake Of events in
which they were joint participants,
by choice or through selfish
considerations. were sorry for Bryan.
They feared that the strain TO which
he had beer subjected since coming to
st. Louis. combined with the enervat
ing heat Of midsummer, had produced
WILL THERE BE PEACE?
When King Edward and the kaiser