The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-08-31
RRYAN'S WELCOME.

BRYAN's WELCOME.
In all the history Of this country no
private citizen has ever had such an
ovation as the one given Mr.. Bryan
on his return from a trip around the
world Some heroes of war and few
special guests, such as Lafayette, have
mad national triumphs, but no plain
man OF the people, holding no office,
possessing no great wealth and well
coined solely as a man. has ever been
distinguished by such rare honors.
When 1t is remembered that Mr..
Bryan left the western shores of the
United States less than year ago
with scarcely any notice of his going
and with no public farewell: when one
recalls the fact that his political rec
ord is marked chiefly by his great
defeats; and remembering that his last
great political stand-in the ST. Louis
convention-was in behalf of a cause
which he lost, this demonstration in
New York takes it's place as the most
unique public tribute ever paid any
American.
To the thoughtful student of history
the event suggests a most interesting
parallel between Lincoln's early DO
htical career and Bryans. Lincoln
took advanced ground on the slavery
question when his friends advised him
it would mean his defeat. He was
beaten in his race with Douglas. but
with his famous dictum that no ma
ton could be half slave and half free
he fixed the issue of the day, fore
Swallowed the ultimate triumph of his
cause and paved the way for his own
election to the presidency. When he
made his famous declaration. the poll
ticians or his day thought he had
written his own political farewell, but
from the obscurity of a country law
office he rose to the presidential chair
because he was brave enough and big
enough to utter the truth as he saw It,
When Eryan took his stand against
the trusts and the abuses Of piratical
corporations. the politicians Of his own
party thought he had blundered and a
good many of them deserted him. Re
fusing to change his position, persist
ing In his attacks on unlawful organi-
zations and public dishonesty gener-
ally, he went down to apparent defeat
md seemed to be doomed to disap-
pointment and permanent retirement
from party leadership. But history is
repeating itself and Bryan returning
from his absence OF a year finds his
beliefs and charges verified by events.
The insurance revelations. the story of
corrupt campaign contributions by cor
porations, the whole trend OF public af-
fairs since his departure has justified
his every utterance, and, like Lincoln,
ne finds his countrymen making his
issues theirs. Big enough and brave
enough to stand by his convictions,
Mr.. Bryan's views have been crystal
lized IN the universal demand for re-
straint of criminal corporations, the
destruction OF monopolies and reforms
in the use Of the taxing power which
has been usurped as a means of per-
petuating great economic wrongs.
A striking evidence Of the change of
public sentiment is to be found i'm the
very organization which started the
plans for the great reception to the
Nebraskan. In his political cam
paigns, Mr.. Bryan found the CONNER
cial travellers largely against him. par
ticularly in 1896 They believed the
Democratic policy would mean disaster
TO them and their interests If il were
put into effect. They worked for Re
publican triumph. and got it. In the
intervening years they have seen their
numbers dwindle and their means Of
livelihood cut off by combination after
combination. They finally organized
an antitrust league, and the Ne
braskan was the man they turned TO
as the fitting spokesman and friend OF
their cause In nearly every branch of
Industry the revulsion of feeling has
been similar. Labor, which shouted for
the full dinner-pail" and the Repub-
Iican candidates, sees monopoly in
trenched behind Republican legislation
and it's own demands for recognition re-
fused by Republican administration.
Naturally it turns TO Bryan.
The great commercial interests which
ask no special privileges once regarded
the Democratic leader with suspicion
as too radical; now they hail him as a
model of sane progressiveness. the foe
of corruption, the CONSERVATION of every
honest mans rights. In the whole
range of American political forces, the
man finds friends where once he had
only opponents. and the New York
reception is but an epitome Of the high