The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-10-02
Mr.. BTyan's Many Lives
BY .. w. ~BLACkNALL~

A little more and we shall see perhaps
just how many lives MI. Bryan has
whether he is as we'll provided in that
respect as a cat or not. For ten years
or more We have constantly been toli
that he was dead. stone dead-that he
had killed himself. or rather that
some Of his heresies had done the job
But somehow he doesn't die-neithar
do his heresies. They are cat-like, too.
They get thrown pretty hard aud
pretty far sometimes, but they land
on their feet too, always on their feet,
and keep travelling.
BY and by they change or we do.
There is a complete characterization,
remember. for these political heresias
of Nj. Bryan become political. truths.
Years ago in the very nadi Of the
hard times, Mr.. Bryan had a remedy.
Each one Of us had his remedy. And,
to ~paraphraSe Pope. each mans rem-
edy, like his watch. saw differently
and each man believed his own.
Mr.. organs argument was that we
needed more money. that We could
see nc good times till men sold what
they had to Sell: that men could not
sell till men bought; that men could
not buy till they had the WhereWith,
the money to buy with. This seems
plain as the multiplication table. That
is. it seems 50 now. 1t evidently did
not then, or at least, not to a majority
Of us.
NO" said Mr.. Money Bags. "Ah.
no. The less money we (mcaning
YOU'D have the richer you (meaning
WEI Will be. The more money we
(meaning you) have. the poorer you
(meaning WEI will be. All that the
good times are waiting for is for Mr..
Bryan and his party to stop saying
that we need more money. Just as
soon az the logics start up and clear
out good times viii pop down on Us
like the good fairy who held aloof
as long as she was talked about.
Who eVer knew Santa Claus to come
down out Of the chimney till the chill
dren stopped watching; or a watched
pot to boil.
Suddenly. almost. money does
grow more plentiful. business
booms. The country has never before
seen such good times or hardly dream
ed Of them. 10, a prophet" cry the
great mass Of the people Of Mr.. Bryan.
mo. no, no" cries Mr.. Money Bags
and his following. Forever no. No
prophet at all. Not even the son nor
son-ln-laW OF a prophet. He couldn't
even guess the color of the money we
needed. nor where it was to come from
1t came from the East. He said that it
was To come from the west. We can
prove ite said the west. We swear it,"
Thus did tais moder Lazarus return
AGAIN from the political tomb. And
with him came his heresy an trans
figured now. Mr.. Bryan ana his here
sizes have 4 most unconscionable habit
Of doing this very thing and Keeping
on doing it, for | cite only one instance
OF money, though perhaps the leading
one.
Again has Mr.. Bryan taken up the
role Of a prophet. He tells us that a
specific for one OF our largest ills lies
IN the government ownership Of rail-
Ioads, Prophets have a most disa-
greeaple habit Of telling people what
'heS aoh want 10 hear. In fact |
never nave heard of a prophet. that i
d true WhO did tell people
what taey wanted to know. And an
OF US are busy hunting for stones to
cast al this prophet. Just as We are
Il! the habIt OF doing. From the be-
ginning the world has first stoned the
pioPhet ana then turned and received
his prophecies.
l believe that Mr.. Bryan's last views
IN alEefs others Of his. Will finally be
auopled INTO u political creed but
peIh4ps not in his day. though time
moves last. Prophets have nor AZ
Nays, II ever. the sense Of persnactira
10y carry no mete wand Of time ana
occasion In their kit. "N
Nothing seems clearer 70 mo 81
1Hdt corporations invested with ~
Ign OF rather privilege, of eminnn4
TtholiaIn. OF condemning for their use
90 p.oPeLlS OF the people should be-
long 70 the people. In a WORD tba,
- - = people should possess the
pIia+ese OF condemning and ammo
- la'iLg the peoples property. Ana
1hal the people should have tba, 80