Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-15
BRYAN's PSYCHIC FORCE.
Analysis Of the Commoner's Power by
Professor Of Philosophy.

Analysis OF the Commoner's Power by
a Professor Of Philosophy.
There have been many causes advanced
by writer's and the admirers Of Mr.. Bryan
as to his abilities to impress and to sway
an audience. that great accompanying gift
which goes with oratory." said professor
of philosophy in one of the local institu-
lions to a Star reporter. land I have given
the gentleman's gifts some little analysis
myself.
'Of course my remarks have nothing to
do with politics whatsoever, but deal with
the personality of the orator, and are
called up by the spontaneity of his greet
ing upon his return from abroad at a time
when politics are not In the fore.
II have made considerable study of men
tai philosophy and 1 am of the opinion that
Mr.. Bryan is either consciously or I'M
consciously one of the greatest psycholo-
gists Of the age. President Roosevelt has
large amount OF psychic force. put 1t is
of a different nature from that of the man
who, II the political prophets gauge the
future correctly. will play such an i'm
portant role in the destiny of his party.
Much has been said about Mr.. Bryan's
magnetism, and his magnetic presence
These are vague terms at best, but per-
haps they convey to the mind Of the
average man what is meant as we'll as
Mr.. Bryan more than a very fluent speaker
with a facile vocabulary, orator, for
the sake of the term, and, as his ideas are
neither startling nor new, we must look
then to other causes for the remarkable
hold he has upon his hearers. for I do
not consider that his speeches do more
than read WELL though perhaps may be
accused by his admirers of being hyper
critical in this respect
These causes must be found In his per-
sonality. or, to be technical. in that in
visible. but nevertheless existent. fluid
which we transmit over copper wires cleo
We term that invisible but existent fluid
which we transmit over copper wires cleo
tricity. The nerve centers receive and re-
spond to this invisible force, and where 1t
is possessed and stored in inexhaustible
quantities, as In the instance OF Mr. Bryan,
1t is possible to transmit 1t either to one
person or to the multitude with the result
that the remarks of the particular speaker
will carry away an audience. whereas
the words OF man whose ideas are deeper
and whose oratory Is more genuine will
fall fiat and elicit no corresponding psychic
vibrations on the part OF the audience.
"It was said of Napoleon that his mere
presence upon field Of battle was equal
to an army corps In Its effect upon his
men, yet he was OF course merely single
man. This historical statement is accepted
as true. and the Little Corporal was be-
yond q doubt the greatest psychologist Of
his time. His psychic force may be said
to have been Of a calmer nature than the
the vehement volume Of President Roose-
velts, but In all Of these three instances
of remarkable men In. their respective
spheres the effect upon the minds OF other
men was identical-they controlled.
"And II all of these three men reached
the people and the world through their
ideas or words as written on paper or put
into type they would never have attained
the prominence nor been such potent ele-
ments in the making of the worlds his
tories and the operating of the destinies
Of nations and the unmaking or the maxi
ing of the fortunes of men. Napoleon's
written words and proc!amations were
merely good. Mr.. Rooseyelt's histories and
| literary efforts afford agreeable reading.
while Mr.. Bryan may be said TO be q good
editorial writer. but when 1t comes to their
| personal presence In the delivery of their
| words the comment have to make on the
| little understood at present element
| psychic force-wili be the more clearly pre-
| sented. In this respect the first man was.
| and the last two are, quite without peers"