The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-01-07
Intellectual Honesty, Taking
People Into His Confidence,
Secret of His Power.
HAS KEPT GREAT NUMBER
OF RADICAL FOLLOWERS
Predictions Of Politicians That
Nebraska Leader Was Dead
One" Never Realized.
Special 10 The Tribune.

Special TO The Tribune.
NEW YORK, Jan 6-The announce.
ent from the West to the effect that
William Jennings Bryan, when asked
whether he had decided TO become a
candidate for the Presidential nomina.
ton In 1908. replied that he had never
promised that he would not be a candi.
date IN 1908, has been received here. In
certain circles in this city this is re.
garded as meaning that Bryan will be
nominated And some of his enthusi~
astlc followers are already declaring
that he viii be nominated and triumph.
antly elected
When the history of this country shall
have been written, the hold OF William
Jennings Bryan upon the rank and fils
Of the Democratic party will be regard
ed as one Of the most peculiar things
IN American politics. And this is true
no matter whether the man is to be
nominated in 1908 or not-no matter
whether he is elected or not II is now
ten years since he first flashed big and
large upon the political horizon Of this
country in connection with the Chicago
convention Of 1896 Ever since that
tlme, without money, without patronage,
he has held in line a greater number
Of radical followers than have ever be-
fore enlisted under the banner of any
man And your true radical is a diff.
cult man 10 hold in line. But with only
little country weekly at his back he
has, nevertheless, challenged the ad.
mlration of politicians of all parties
Gold standard or silver standard or dia.
mond standard-any old standard, for
that matter. II would begin to appear
as though William Jennings Bryan had
more political lives than a cat.
Evidence of His Strength.
It was supposed at the time OF ths
holding of the ST Louis convention,
when the political machinery of great
party had forced him TO bow to the
party will, that Mr.. Bryan would never
again be heard of. Yet he returned
the people than ever before After his
famous Madison Square Garden speech
IN which he declared for Government
ownership OF the railroads of the coun-
try In theory at least, if not in prac-
t,ce. the practical politicians of the
country almost without exception de-
clared, Bryan been and gone and
supposed that he would never be heard
Of again. Yet once again he looms up
big and large on the Presidential hori.
zon as possibility, if not probability
is the man a political wizard7 is a
question which has often been asked
tloW pOeS ne 90 II
intellectually Honest.
One answer may be found in the fact
that Bryan is one Of the few men in
public life who IS intellectually honest.
He insists upon taking the people into
his confidence, And from the highest
to the lowest. the practical politicians
of this country do not want TO take
the people into their confidence. This
was demonstrated AT the St Louis con-
yentlon Of 1904. when Judge Alton B.
Parker was nominated for President.
The men in control of the Democratic
convention insisted that the national
platform should remain silent upon the
subject of gold and silver Mr. Bryar
himself mounted the platform and told
them that If they would only bring in
plank for the gold standard he would
offer no objection TO such n plank. ex,
cept to vote against it. He pleaded
with the convention to take the people
into their confidence, but the leaders
were deaf 10 the appeal. Then came
the famous gold standard telegram from
Judge Parker. it is 70 be doubted
whsther n plank in favor of the free
and unlimited coinage Of silver, a plank
in favor of gold standard, . plank
in favor of radium standard would
have done the Democratic party az
much harm rs the feeling that some.
thing was going on behind the scenes
that the fuanciers were afraid to let
the people know about. With the aver.
age man it is the unknown that terri.
iics, not the known He might not be
afraid Of radium standard-might he
able TO even argue that sort of a thing
away-but he could not argue away tho
feeling that there might be an under
standing between the Presidential cam
didate ard tho fnanciers.
Confidence in the People.
1t is the feeling that, sooner or later.
the people viii find out the truth, which
is perhaps one Of the most pronounced
traits in Mr.. Bryan s mental makeup.
In spite OF his two defeats, he appears
TO have complete confidence in the peo.
pie. and though they have twice voted
in opposition to the man, II must he
that after all. Lincoln S common peo-
ple' must have a profound admiration
for the man.
Probably no man in public life today
Is rs intellectually open as is Mr.. Bry-
an. Not being in public lfc, he is not
forced to stand by his party right or
wrong. lie can remain regular and yet
elect IN fght in the primaries for what
he believes to be right. There is moth
ing IN his record to hide or evadc, His
enemies undoubtedly say that he would
he pleased TO hide his siXteen-to-one rec
ord Yet il should be remembered that
President Mckinley and the entire Re
publican party had been committed to
The gold standard M TO the time of
the St Louis convention Of 1896,
Discussing the political situation,
Chester c. Platt. one of tho upstate
editors. who is an old-time friend Of
Mr.. Bryan and who did more than any
other man in connection with moulding
the sentiment Of the newspapers up the
State for Mr. Hearst (this, too. without
money and without pricc), SAID that he
did not believe there would be the