The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-10-15

Skes put ~ . man'B talents are often
hidden on . Newspaper by the prac-
ttce Of suppressing the names OF writ
ers, 1t might have been charitably ~
sumed that he then had no opportun-
ity Of showing his abilities as Q writ
or. But later on he established his
own paper, The Commoner, and here
mo pent-up Utica of Journalism pre-
vented him from displaying his pow
&rS. stih, the result has proven be-
I'D . shadow Of doubt that the dis
shed Nebraskan cannot write.
TA{. Eho have taken the Commoner,
for Wonths, and who are famil-
lar wfsS <A periodicals Of the past
- the Sist In America, or tho
Spectator Sg Taller in England,
have looked Ain for 4 anythine
above the sophs IA and the he me me.
diocre from Mr.. Ey3&n's pen In the
columns Of his paper II he has ever
written Q really able article on any
thing under the sun, or letter from
his travels that was notable for any
thing but bald recital, have never
seen It, nor have been assured that
this was the fact, even by some Of Mr..
Bryan's warmest admirers.
Exhibit .B.'
William ]. Bryan 10 not writer.
Coming to the subject Of thought, It
might be urged that although Mr..
Bryan has not evidenced any reflec-
tive capacities in his writings, So
called, he IL man Of depths OF mem
tality. nevertheless II 10, in what way
has he manifested it, He has not
suggested any great measure Of
statesmanship. The silver issue died
a-bornin' and was abandoned on the
doorstep Of expediency. The govern
ment ownership of railroads met the
same fate. And neither Of these was
original with Mr.. Bryan. He Is not a
man OF initiative; or even referendum.
None OF his speeches shows evidences
OF deep thought, and they have uni
versally been notable, not for what
was said In them, but for the manner
IN which they have been delivered.
Nowhere In all Of his speeches is there
earnest Of q great man. The mere de-
livery, In an. impressive manner. of
q self-etident and /. Iong-fprmulated
truth 10 not sign-manusl Of genius.
I have heard Mr.. Bryan speak on sew
eral occasions. In fact, my enthusi-
asm In his first campaign was not
weakened by having heard him speak
during that time. But have heard
him speak where other men spoke
before him, and he suffered markedly
by comparison. Not in the presence,
manner or voice of the orator, but In
the logic, argument, cohessiyeness and
analytic powers Of the oratory; the
constructive ability and the instruc-
tive ehect 1t is this weakness which
makes Mr.. Bryans speeches sound
we'll, and read poorly. And to those
who are not carried away by the
mere outward graces OF oratory, these
features do not even sound we'll. The
tnougM is not, and never will be
there, ZOE am free to assert, with-
out anyskeeling Ia the matter whatso-
eNess and. % p by. these presents.
sS''ss'ss 81. Exhibit CO..
ss1tllain j. Bryan is not q thinker,
Al to his Judgment Of men individual
II, Mr.. Bryan is wdefully lacking.
He has Invariably surrounded himself
with the weakest Of advisers. He has
naturally and inevitably espoused the
wrong side Of nearly everything in
the shape Of political warfare. His
personal friendships have been always
superior to his political Judgment.
Generally speaking, he knows that
men, as mass, want q square deaf
and 1t really does not take superla-
tive wisdom to guess this. But when
It comes to the selection of advisers
Mr.. Bryan will continually be led
to prefer those who Will follow his
lead meekly, instead of those who Will
insist on some share Of responsibility
and honor. One Of the basic faults
lin Mr.. Bryan's makeup is the inten-
sity with which he views his own af-
in which all other mems affairs appear
to him. He is all enthusiasm as re-
CARDS his own fortunes, but he is
impatient to boredom IL confronted
with the prospect of seriously con-
sidertng some other mans career.
This has always been excused in the
case Of admittedly great men, but It
is not per se the hall mark Of great
ness. Indeed, many great men have
had the happy faculty of intereskina