Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1908-07-16
BRYAN OF TODAY is
A GREATLY CHANGED MAN

BRYAN or TODAY Us
A GREATLY CHANGED MAN
But the William j. Bryan of today is a
different person from the Bryan of 1896,
or even of 1900. MIR. Bryan himself best
explains the change in his makeup. In
discussing public matters not long ago,
he said: when started out In politics
used to think that all good con-
densed In my own party. and oil evil In
the other: but as have become better ac-
quainted have found so many bad demo-
Gratis and so many good republicans that
have become more charitable" He has
developed and broadencd out. but he never
| admits he was wrong then. Time has
proven we were right" is the way he puts
i 1t when asked why he abandoned free sill
Yer. Imperialism. revision of the tariff and
other factors of the political equation, and
he Is quick to resent the charge that the
one aim in his life is TO be a perpetual cam
didate. He insists that he has demon
strated that a man can become influential
in politics without departing from high
moral standards, without power to
ward. money TO buy influence. or patron
age to dispose. In one particular it would
seem the Bryan of today differs more than
in any other from the Bryan of 1896 He
lis willing TO compromise. Years ago he
would not bend. 1t was then my will"
or nothing. Now he listens to others and
the subject matter than he himself does.
Confidence Born of Hope.
! Mi Bryan, from all accounts. is SUI
premely confident of success this year. He
and his faithful followers are greatly
elated by the disappointment and mutter
| ings coming from republicans In the great
central western and Mississippi! valley
states following the Chicago convention.
Some of these republicans arc sulkng be-
cause the platform was not radical as
they desired; some because of personal
grievances, and to nearly all of the states
| lying east of Denver and west of the
| Alleghenies tho nomination of Sherman
was blow in the face. .'Reactionary" is
the mildcst term they apply to the Utica
| congressman. Al Chicago some of those
middle west republicans, in their hot an
ger, threatened To bolt the ticket They
| will hardly DO this, but of them. the
proprietor Of an influential paper. is Civ
! ins Bryan u fair show" lay printing In his
newspaper columns of friendly articles
about the Lincoln Conmoner. Bryan has
| hoard all these reports of conditions in
other states. and he has seen the marked
and pei haps significant change in public
sentiment toward him in his home town
OF Lincoln.
Demonstration Of Personality.
Early in the campaign the anti-l3rvan
| elements over the country sought to cons
| troll enough delegates to prevent MIR.
4 Bryan securing two-thirds vote 1t is
essential in democratic conventions that
II candidate shall secure two thirds of the
delegates rather than Il majority, as In
| the republican convention This method
| of lighting Bryan gave him great con-
Germ. and he redoubled his efforts to Sc
cure Delegates Another point that prom
| Used To give him trouble was the en-
! :. q. 4. ~.
cations like New York. Pennsylvania and
Massachusetts or Illinois. Mr.. Bryan
Icould not decry the rule in one state and
advocate Its enforcement In another. be-
cause that would aet like a twoadgetl
sword In order to prevent the unit rule
| being enforced whore he did not want II.
| MIR. Bryan set his friends In the districts
to work, ard wherever possible caused
| instructions TO issue from the district
conventions in his interest. This is an
other proof of the loyalty of the personal
following of the candidate. and has re-
| suited in miXing the state leaders consd-
eraDly.
10 his remarkable oratorical powers Mr..
Bryan owes much OF his success in poll
/ dies. He is tlreless and never knows what
defea: is. His speeches are mostly di-
4 tented tn the masses Of the people, aud II
is TO them HI speaks, rather than class.
| He is AZ home in all communities, has Il
renar!tstl, memory and always addresses
peolle ~ rhclr first names if possible, 1t
! is this familiarity thai has had much 10
do with tiens him 10 thn rank and file
of the democ.aey His speeches are fun
OF catchy Expressions and sentences and
\ they attract a certain class of readers and
i followers
A Blow will be found extracts from
i speeches made 10y Mr. Bryan, showing
how he caters TO the public IN his express
si0na:
They oall that man Il statesman whose
ear is tuned 70 catch The slightest pull
I.sations of a poekctbook. and denounce as
Ia demogogue any one who daros to lis
ton to the heartbeat of humanity.
The poor man who takes property by
force is called n thief. but the creditor
who can by legislation make n debtor pay
u dollar twice as large as he borrowed
is lauded az a friend of sound currency
"You may think that you have buried
the cause of bmetaism: you may con.
graduate yourselves that GU have laid
free coinage of silver away in n sepul-
thrr newly made since the election and
before the door rolled the veto stone
Tho gentlemen who are so fearful OF
socialism when tho poor are exempted
from income tax view with Indifference
those methods of taxation which give tbs
rich substantial exemption. They weeI
more because sl5.up.po is to be- collected
from the incomes of the rich than they
do at the collection Of S.srD,pgDuO upon The
goods which the poor consume. And whei
ln attempt is mads to cquaiiH, these bur
dcns, not fully, but partially only the
people Of the South and West are callet
,