Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1906-09-12
Some Impressions
Of W. }. Bryan.

newspapers OF the east They will
print his name in bold headlines and
use his picturesque personality as "A
theme for brilliant rhetorical stunts,
but they would rather see him cru
Gifted than made president Two years
from now IL the clamor of the peo-
pie should become so insistent that
II cannot be ignored. the journals
controlled by w. II. Hearst will sup
port him; but there is scant possi-
bility that Hearst will endorse Bryan
until he sees that his own chance for
the nomination is gone. Hearst Ia
perhaps the most useful and truly
|philanthropic multi-millionaire I'm
the country and his aspirations TO be
president are a part of his heritage
and privilege as an American citi-
zen, but what has he done, pray, that
he should expect the people to en-
dorse him for that Office. He Is a
business man, not statesman. Is n
man eligible TO the presidency be-
cause he has the ability to select
and pay for high-class brains To con
duet his news and editorial columns2
l1earsts money has bought the tai
ent that made him prominent in ma
tional affairs and II is pity that SO
promising young man, mistaking
his shadow for himself, should i'm
pair his usefulness and invite disap-
polntment.
The procession from the Battery
up Broadway, a dintance OF some
three miles, was spectacle never to
be forgotten. had the good fortune
to hang on TO q trolley short dis
tance I'm front OF the line of car
riages when the march began and
so densely was Broadway packed
that the car and the carriage process
sion passed and repassed each other
as the black mass of humanity sway
ed from side TO side. From windows
and balconies on either hand thous-
ands OF women and children leaned
out from dizzy heights wa1lng tiny
flags and shooting long paper stream
ers, some OF which futtered into
Bryan's carriage. will not hazard
guess at the number OF people who
saw Bryan on Broadway and Fifth
Avenue, between the Battery and
Hotel Victoria. | left the car at the
Victoria and fought my way by inches
to the Fifth Avenue entrance to
witness the pandemonium there when
the peerless one arrived Suddenly
felt the wedge of humanity begin To
tighten, the way opened before me,
and | saw squad of mounted police
march by and then the swarthy face
OF the great Nebraskan came into
view, smiling broadly but looking
somewhat ratified. Small wonder. for
there rose a shout which stung the
ear drums like hammer blows so
intense and deafening were its re-
lverberations. They hustled him out
lof his carriage. whirled him into the
hotel, where there was another out
burst that made the windows rattle
About this time, looking up, saw
Mrs. Bryan standing on "A narrow
second story balcony off a little way
from the main entrance. I was con
scious Of thrill that struck deeper
down than any had felt that day
] was looking at the happiest woman
In the world Her eyes were shining
and every line OF her intellectual
race was aglow Directly she dis
appeared and / was sorry. By this
time the crowd outside was calling
impatiently for n speech: there was
furry at the door OF the large por-
tico above the main entrance and out
came Bryan rs though lifted out By
an invisible hand or sudden gust Of
wind When was here ten years
ago." he said II called this the en-
emy's country When man makes
mistake ! think ne ought to be
manly enough 10 acknowledge it.
] take that back" His tones BETRAYED
deep emotion and he looked all
gratitude
BY this time - was growing late
and went straight 10 Madison
Square Garden. Six hundred police
men were on duty there. 7 was told
and they seemed to enjoy their task
The scene I Witnessed there beggars
description. Imagine twenty thousand
frantic people, with twenty thons-
and flags and twenty thousand pairs
Of lungs all doing full duty and you
may imagine the rest. Next to Br an
Tom Johnson In his brief speoc',
caused the biggest ptir. He great
boyish looking fellow and when he
speaks his voice cracks like rife.
He means what he says. and what he
says Is boiled down until IL simmcrr.
Bryan spoke for two hours with such
force and eloquence as only he DOS
sesscs. As an orator he stands alb
.solutely alone. Like some mighty tide
gathering force and volume as 10