The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-26
The Unburied BryiN.

racy and agreed not to precipitate Gov
eminent ownership Of railways. In due
course of time. when he shall have edu-
Gated the darkened multitudes to his
ideas Of patriotic craftsmanship or per-
sonally magnetized them into the neces-
sary trance condition. he will take up
the matter seriously. For the moment
no permits them TO hug their errors
undisturbed.
Mr.. BRYAN's attitude is indulgent. He
offers his followers a bright hour Of in
nocent recreation. Time enough later
on for the lecture and the birch.
Age and experience appear to be
wasted on the Nebraska prophet. Neither
the accumulation Of years nor the ad-
monitions Of disaster avail to pierce
the hide Of his complacency. Time has
brought him no m~isgivings. Repeated
downfalls have not jostled, much less
displaced, the crown he set upon his head
ten years or 80 ago. Mr.. BRYAN, IL would
seem, has all the dulness Of his arro-
gance. Apparently he fails to realize the
change that has come w the Democ-
racy since he volunteered to lead the
forlorn hope Of 1895.
In that memorable year he wa easily
the first OF demagogues and agitators;
now he has both imitators and opponents
everywhere. especially at the South,
where alone the party has influence and
power. Mississippi has it's vARpAMAN,
Georgia its HoKE SMITH, Alabama it's
CONFER, South Carolina its BEN TILLMAN.
These have learned to play upon his
favorite instruments and become ex-
pert in the employment Of his most ef-
fective tools. They, too, know the uses
Of the Bugaboo, a paint the Octopus
in every dreadful hue, and bray as loudly
as the next man into the yawning ear Of
prejudice.
The Bryan patent has expired or else
it has been infringed by stronger and
more adept politicians. The monopoly
he once held and through which he has
profted 10 comfortably is now parti-
toned among eager and industrious COM
petitors. and what is worse for him the
latter are surer Of their ground and Of
their followers. The Corners and the
Hokesmiths and the Tillmans have no
idea OF abdicating in favor of the once
compelling but nov shopworn outsider.
They have found it lucrative to work
upon ignorance and discomfort, and they
will keep the home market for them
selves.
The truth is that Mr.. BRIAN begins
TO bore the Southern Democrats. Even
those who adapted his methods and ex-
pedients to latter day conditions have
come TO resent the everlasting presen-
tation Of that threadbare claim. Mr..
BRYAN. with his Government ownership,
his initiative and referendum and his
various ~postulates Of calamity, impresses
them chiefly as a tiresome and ~grotesque
anaehronism. To borrow the argot OF
the irreverent, he is out Of date. There
is no want or penury or suffering in
the South. He exhibits the cerements Of
dead issues and vexes the impatient air
with unfamiliar lamentations.
Il seems TO be generally understood
that when the weather shall have moder-
ated somewhat Mr.. BRYAN will cross the
Ohio River and let the faithful gaze upon
him once again. The struggling mendi-
cants of 1896 are comfortably well of by
now and doubtless can afford the enter
tainment. In that event we can imagine
large, delighted audiences gathering in
the chosen neighborhoods, the old in
toxicating music, thunders Of applause,
Southern hospitality in a high state
Of Inflammation, fish fries, ~barbecues,
beverages more or less cooling and all
tho accessories Of unshirted revelry.
They will welcome him with honest fer
vor. Peanut shells will whiten the whole
surface @: the earth. The persimmon
trees will yield their richest fruitage. the
fatted gopher die a martyrs death, the
plucked, eviscerated blackbird melt by
thousands into pic, and all the South
give way TO bliss, Mr.. BRYAN will, OF
course, eonstrue all this as a tribute TO
his majesty. The g~regarious instinct has
no place in his superior philosophy. II
cannot occur to him that the ~southerners,
always eager for prete1ts Of foregathering
and c~onviviality. are innocently making
occasion Of a prophet.
But HECTOR in his tomb beneath the
Las groves Of Mount Idn is q more benef-