Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-04-25
Count Okuma on Bryan.

leading educatOnallSt and one of the
greatest of living Japanese. In speak
ing of the great Americans he has met
he refers 10 three as standing above
all other men he ever met. These rep
resent the three priOds marking Am
rican friendship for Japan. The first
period started with Townsend Harris
Ulysses S. Grant marked the second
period of American friendship, and
Count Okuma says: 81 believe il was
first from him | first learned to love
America" His eulogy of General
Grant is a beautiful tribute to the dis
tinguished American. The third per
iod was ushered in, Count Okuma says.
by the visit of William J. Bryan. CT
Mr. Bryan the great Japanese says:
The third great American | met is
nobody but William Jennings Bryan.
was fiattered when he remarked in 4
speech that he reached Japan with the
being Marquis Ito and the other nv
self. Doubtless his sympathy with re
had been growing from his political
beliefs which might correspond with
mine He had been steering against
the flowing tide of the Republican
party; it was a sure proof of his
power, and it might be said he made
his success out of failure: he is making
the American politics worth while with
his own character. He told an anus
ing story in his speech: John AlleI
one of the humOrists of the L. S. con
greSS. tells this story against himself
He met an old slave who had worked
in his family for years, and the Old
man said, 'Massa John. wha' you dom
now? John replied: oh, am a can
didate.' And the old man said. WHY.
that's the same office your father
held 1t is delightful to find him full
of these sunny humors, the touch of
which we japanese terribly lack. It
would not increase his greatness at all
| if he were elected. 1t is perfectly de-
licious TO stay an eternal candidate.
MY first expectation of him, how
ever. was a failure as | expected hiU
to be, | confess. a professional pOliti-
clan who would attempt 10 spread his
wings of fame over the newspapers
but that disappointment in my expec.
tatiOn was my greatest delight. He was
greater than | thought. truer than
expected; was glad to have him come
| TO Japan as a student. He called on
me the day after his arrival, and 'Ie
made a great speech at our Waseia
| III iVnpGity- In, he 70
us is too old TO learn None of us
knows all that can be known, and 4
one is so humble that he cannot teacl
others something" He will be remem
bered by us as a scholar if he be foY
gotten as a statesman; he made {
strong impression on us as a moralisr
His thirst for knowledge was extra
ordinary. He asked me whether | W..
acquainted with the works of Jeffer
son: and he sent me .Jefferson's En-
cyclopedia afterwards: in him he may
be finding his own ideal of life an
politics.
He said at a dinner party at thu
then American legation: There mus
be party in power and there mus
be party out of power, although
think that, for convenience sake. tho,
ought to change places occasionally
When a party goes into power it !:
Iapt to be more conservative than whel
out of power, and when a party goe
out of power it is likely to be NOR
radical than when in power. | Nigh
give a number of reasons for it. 4
the first place, responsibility tends Il
make party more deliberate-it So
ers. Then. too, a party that is defear
ed often learns from the victor how I,
win. and sometimes the successful
Iparty learns from the defeated one
Such is true language. 1t is too earl
to cast any prophecy upon the mex
American, election in which Bryan wi
be a chief; but it would not be a bal
idea to change the hand of admir-
istration; the democrats have bee
waiting too long, and I believe tina
such a change would mean benefit t
entire America.
Il am not saying that the republica
party is beginning to be corrupted
but il is not far from truth TO sa
that political freedom and the Amer
can ideal show unmistakable sym,
toms of being meanced under tn
trust, and protectionism; and | firml
believe that America is great enoug
} to be free from them. And there's tn
5 question of tariff and Europea
. immigration. President Roosevelt's me
: sage delighted us as piece of liter:
ture. but was it not a sad failure :,
5 coming from the White house? How
ever | have only sympathy with hin
, standing as he is in a difficult pos
: ton, where the fair wings of his ide;
5 may be spread under the close atmo
l phere of somewhat fallaeious polite
, and mingled races. 1t is not only tn
= ipessimist who looks upon American a
., fairs with knitted brows.'