The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-02-02

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| WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN.
can honest confession is good for
the SOUL"
When a man has a confession to
make the sooner he makes it and has
it over with the better it is for himself
and for those to whom he makes the
confession. So in the beginning Of
this article desire to confess to my
readers that l have now, and always
did, from the time l first met him,
have an intense admiration for Bryan.
/ do not know of single political
idea l hold in common with him. l
think he is wrong on the money
question, the tariff question, the gov
eminent ownership question, and in
TACT it would be hard for me to men
ton a question of public importance
in which l agree with the gentleman
from Nebraska. At the same time
admire his commanding ability, his
lofty courage, his answering integ-
rity, his devotion to what he believes
to be his duty and his absolute sim
certify of purpose.
The first time~I ever met Bryan was
in the winter of 1894. He had just be-
gun to attract attention as rising
young democrat of the radical school
but at that time no one ever dreamed
of him as possibility as presiden-
tial nominee.
His rooms were in close proximity
to mine, he residing with Mr.. Bride
in Northeast Washington and my
rooms being directly across the street.
He did not have the appearance at
that time Of being remarkable man.
One would have naturally taken him
for popular parson of a prosperous
country church with comfortable
salary. l was surprised to find he
was a member of the House. He was
quiet in speech, quiet in manner and
seemed to me to pass things up with
an air of rather sleepy Indifference.
| Shortly after became acquainted
with him question of importance
came up in the House and the great
leaders of the great parties plunged
headlong into the arena of debate.
After several notable orators had
spoken Bryan arose in his place. He
shook his indifference from him like
cloak and the transformation in the
man was startling in its suddenness.
The never ending hum of converse
ton ceased, the constant rustic of
papers came to an abrupt termination,
and for straight hour he held his
audience absolutely spellbound by
his eloquence. The great secret of
Bryan's power is his mastery oratory.
Some one has said that there are only
three classes Of men that are natural
born orators, Irishmen. Indians and
Negroes. There is great truth in the
statement. There is not an orator of
note in the country today but is
not Irish or has a strong infusion of
Irish blOOe in his veins.
One of the greatest examples of ora
tory extant is the speech of the Indian
chief Logan made many years ago,
and one would search the records of
great oratorical efforts long time be-
fore he would find more striking
example of passionate eloquence than
the speech made by the venerable
White Cloud Chief of the Chippewas
before the Chippewa Indian Commits
sion; and those who have travelled
through the southland will bear me
out in the statement that often times
you will hear the most tender, pa
thetic statements, the most vivid
word pictures and the most POLITICALLY
expressed phrases from the lips of un-
lettered colored orators.
Bryan is master of the strong points
OF all these races. His every word
and action from the melliferously
flowing syllables of his superbly
rounded sentences, to the impressive
gestures with which he pushes back
his long locks from his lofty brow,
the impressive manner of raising his
hand proclaims his Celtic origin,
added to this he possesses the intense
personal conviction of the Indian, the
beautiful poetic fancy and the quaint