The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-09-13
COLONEL BRYAN'S RESEARCH.

The enthusiastic followers of Colone
William Jennings Bryan will note
with pleasure that their peerless leader
is going to the Orient in search of new
ideas in the science of government, in
stead of to Europe, as he had pre-
viously announced, says the Kansas
City Journal. 1t is not believed tina,
the unfortunate pessimism of Exper,
James Dalrymple with respect to pub.
lie ownership in this country had any.
thing to do with this change in the
colonel's plans.
Some time in September, according
to a late dispatch, Colonel Bryan will
sail from San Francisco On his tour
Of political knight %errantry, and
shortly thereafter he will be absorbed
in the superb financial systems OF the
Polynesian islanders, who coin their
money out of sea shells without the
aid or consent Of any other nation.
AZ the supply of sea shells is practi.
cally in%exhaustible, the happy natives
have no use for crosses of gold: that
hated metal is almost unknown among
them. In Japan the colonel will in.
vestigate the virtues of the worship OF
ancestors with a view to Incorporating
it in the next democratic platform.
Judging from its effect upon the Jap.
anese, it will be a great Improvement,
as a paramount issue, upon any plank
that democratic platforms have con.
tanned in many years.
In China, Colonel Bryan will be en-.
abled to pursue his fiscal studies to
great advantage. In that celestial
kingdom the government is largely
supported by lotteries, which are in
variably profitable to those who run
them. The governors Of the provinces
also have a delightful way of coming
money. each OF his " free will with.
out any foreign c%onstraint. Only the
other day n Of the governors an
nounced that the cent which was in
N''SaAaliou Ia MS pAONluSC was u
tirely too large, and proceeded to
coin as many as he deemed best of a
smaller and more convenient size. In
Siam Mr.. Bryan will find govern.
mental novelties of all kinds and de.
scriptions. The sacred white elephant
Is a very efficient adjunc: of govern.
ment, stimulating the piety Of the PEG.
pie and quieting their
when a new Ia levy is announced.
The thing that will please the Ne.
braska traveller most in Siam, how.
ever, is the standing army, which is
limited to $500 men. The liberties of
the Siamese people may be in direct
ratio to the size Of the army; but, how.
ever small, they are evidently safe
from the menace of militarism, which
has been hanging like a cloud over
the United States eve since Mr.. Bryan
first discovered it.
Tibet also presents an attractive
field for political and economic re.
search. The hierarchy which rules 81.
preme in that lofty land is unalterably
opposed to imperialism in any man.
ner, shape or form, and the high state
Of civilization which prevails in the
land OF the llamas is proof conclusive
of the correctness of the theory.
Colonel Bryan will do we'll to avoid
the Philippines, which are enjoying
an unprecedented degree of peace and
prosperity just now under the protec.
ton of the American flag. However,
without them such a volatile and YER.
satile statesman will doubtless find
plenty of material in the Far East to
point a governmental moral and
adOrn the democratic tale.