The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1904-07-27
TIE SILVER KNIGHT
D d moi Quail Under the Battle
AK Blows Of the Enemy.

VII lam Jennings Bryan concern
ing certain policies u be adopted
or i Scarded as ssues by the DINO
cratic party, there is no installing
the friendly temper Of the great
quadrennial gathering OF Demo-
Gratis toward Mr.. Bryan personally.
The Presidential standard bearer
of the Democracy in two Brilliant
but disastrous campaigns went to
ST. Louis with the knowledge that
he had osing fight before him.
Fou, years before, so complete was
his mastery, the Kansas City con-
venrc n was sentimentally con-
Wrained to do his will against its
calmer Judgment; today large
majority of his fellow partisans,
IN national convention assembled,
were eager to compass his political
undoing in order that the party
might get abreast of the progress
Of events.
Not since the days of Henry
Clay, that other peerless commoner,
has partisan approbrium pursued
political leader as Mr.. Bryan has
been pursued. The shield of the
silver knight did not quail under
the battle ak blows of the party
benemy, TWAS not Republican as
sault that tried him sorest 1t
was enemies from within that hem
med the Man of the Cross of Gold
about like stag at bay-Demo-
Gratis who held no party ties as
\ binding against their own minority
will. Against them the courageous
Nebraskan stood his ground in two
bitter campaigns, waging fight
than which no man could have
waged better, and losing with
his escutcheon unsullied. The
blows taken and given in fair polit-
ical battle were many and hard,
but they were as nothing to the
blows from behind and to the ava
lanche of smart raillery that de-
seconded from all sides. Mr.. Bryan
became a glib in the mouths of men
who were not capable of appreciat-
ling the due of heroism vanquished.
The first day of the St. Louis
convention Mr.. Bryan sat with i'm
robbie face while the rafters rang
,Joseith cheers for other names than
minis. The second day he walked
"W own the aisle to become the OBJ
tivsect of an even greater ovation.
issWe have heard of the ingratitude
enAof republics. Perhaps Mr.. Bryan
was ready to believe in the ingrati-
tude of parties. The roar CT that
cataract of human voices paying
tribute to his personality and his
brilliant past leadership, notwith-
standing he was believed to have
come to St. Louis as an obstruction
ist and malcontent, was remark
able incident. With such tribute
ringing in his ears, the recipient
must have imbibed the contagious
spirit of the occasion-the spirit of
harmony based on honorable COM
Npr"m.s~.
Mr.. Bryan, whose alege deter
minn,ion Co oolt had been loudly
hsralded by the Republican press
and the element that constituted
itself Republican aid society
when he was the standard bearer
of Democracy, fought manfully for
his political opinions in the com
mittee on resolutions, as was his
right. Unable to get what he con-
tended for, he evinced willing
ness to meet his opponents half
way in an effort to compromise
their differences. As member OF
the committee, he might have
brought in minority report and
Y precipitated an injurious conflict
4 of ideas upon the floor of the con.
vention. Instead, platform was
unanimously reported from the
committee and adopted without an
adverse vote in the convention.
In that historic all-night scene
following the adoption of the plat
form, when Democracy's peerless