Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-09-07
sRYAN'S HOMECOMING,
A Candid Expression by a Lifelong Rspub.
lican.
Des Moiues Register and Leader.


It is we'll that every citizen should lay
aside his partisanship for day and ash
hlmself the secret of the popularity Of
MIR. Bryan.
1t is certainly noteworthy that a farm
er boy, OF Illinois, country lawyer o.
Nebraska,a few terms member of Con
gress, country editor, and otherwise
merely an untagged citizen, should BIZ
met at the wharves in New York by the
most imposing demonstration ever made
for a returning American.
1t is not less noteworthy at man
having as few claims on unusual recogni.
ton should in every country in the world
usually accorded rulers. Wherever Mr..
Bryan has appeared he has been "in the
public eye."
There is a spectacular element in the
Bryan makeup that accounts for some
actor OF him in his youth. Bryan has
the peculiar talent that lends itself to
Just such an affair as is in progress in
New York to-day. He is one of the men
who can attract attention without SEEM
ing to court it. He does not shrink from
the gaze of the multitude. On q large
Bryan's gift of speech has had some.
thing to do with it. When he was in
England the London Times proclaimed
and that is the ultimate of English
praise.
But neither oratory nor a talent for
heading the procession accounts for Bry-
anism. There have been orators in
American politics by thousands who
have never touched the hem of Bryan
popularity and power. No merely mere
tricious talent will account for the per-
sistency of the Bryan vogue.
Bryan has stood for cause, and not
for himself; that is the real secret of
Organism. He may have made shrewd
guess that helping cause would best
promote his own popularity. He may
have been governed by q certa in persis-
tency or obstinacy. In any event, he
started as the champion of cause, and
ne has never compromised it to help
himself. In the national convention at
Kansas City, and again at st. Louis. he
could have gained temporary personal
triumph at little sacrifice. But he re-
fused to make it.
It may be pure Obstinacy that leads
him even now to refer to the advantages
of q silver leg. If it is, it is the strength
as well as the weakness of Bryan. For
it is this same obstinacy that he owes
the tribute his enemies are to-day paying
him. Bryan has led his way. Apparent
ly that has been more important to him
than being President. In the end it is
what will make him President, if there
is any such thing reserved in the book
of fate for a Democrat in this generation.
1t remains only to be said that in the
main the cause Bryan has espoused has
been the cause of American Democracy.
The means he has suggested to strength
en- ideal popular government have never
commended themselves. But the cause
is the cause President Roosevelt has es-
poused. 1t might just as well be recog-
nized frankly that there is not so much
difference in the ostensible aims of the
two men. The difference is in the
routes by which they propose to travel.
Bryan stands for free trade, and
apparently for increasing government
ownership as the solution of the prob
lem. Roosevelt stands for protection
and government regulation. 1t will not
be remarkable if these two men face
each other in 1908 on platforms that
distinctly state the differences in their
views.