The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-07-26
BRYAN LOVED IN
HIS OWN CITY
Wonderful Change in Lin
coin Within the Past
Few Years.

A Lincoln, Neb. dispatch 10 the
Philadelphia Record says: Nothing
so well illustrates the difference in
the estimation placed upon William
J. Bryan by the people Of his home
town at the present time, from the
estimation placed upon the Great
CommOner" in former years by these
same people, than does a comparison
of the reception given Mr. Bryan by
his neighbOrS on receipt Of the news
of mis- latest nomination for president,
with the reception given him in for
mer years.
1t was exactly twelve years to the
day between Mr.. Bryan's first nomI
nation and that which he received at
the hands o. the Denver convention.
Each came on July 10th, one in 1896,
the other in 1908.
The hOnors shown Mr.. Bryan last
Friday by his neighbOrs and friends
are yet being written about in the
newspaper, which tell of the spOn-
taneOus outburst of pride which
swept over the Lincoln people that
one of their own friends should be
thousands Of these Lincoln people
went out to Mr. BTyan's home at
Fairview, not out of curiosity, but to
do honor to Bryan and his family;
and during the short speech-making
they told Mr.. Bryan how proud they
were of him as a citizen; how much
Lincoln loved him.
But not one of these Lincoln peo-
pie reminded Mr.. Bryan of the receD-
ton which greeted him when he
came home fresh from the Chicago
convention with the nomination il his
pocket. At that time verify there
i IL
erence." No brass band met Bryan's
train. No delegation of prominent
citizens called upon him and present
ed the keys of the city The vast
majority O. LincOnites didn't know
Mr. Bryan even by reputation, much
less by sight.
who is this fellow Bryan and
where does he iive?" they asked one
another.
One-half the people didn't take Bry-
an seriously, and this nalf laughed at
him The other half did take him
seriously and these scowled when
they even thought of him as a posi-
BILE president
Then came the campaign. Bryan
was a prophet and he was in his own
country. Some other portion of the
United States might honor him, but
not Lincoln.
Lonesome Old Time.
When at home Bryan used to spend
a great deal of time on his front
porch. Ii was not the Fairview
home, but one out near the state
buildings in the city. The neighbors
used to spend much time on their
own pOTChes, too, but the Bryans
were ignored.
When Bryan walked down the
every man he met would Just happen
TO be deeply absorbed in something
occurring in another direction and
would 1all to see the "COmmoner."
When visiting delegations of dis
tinguished men from other states
came to Lincoln 70 call upon Bryan
the LincOlniteS looked al them in
wonder that they would come so far
to see so little. And when deIega-
tons walked up the shady street on
which stood the Bryan residence.
those citizens who happened to be
on their pOrChes at that time stu
dlOuSly avoided paving any attention
whatever 10 the visitors
In short Mr. Bryan was given every
indication that the Lincoln peopIe
didn't want TO know him: didn't like
him, and didn't want 10 like him:
had no respect for him and didn't
want to have any respect for him.
But Mr. Bryan has long lived down
this feeling Today he Is by far the
most popular citizen OF Lincoln.
whether among republicans or demo-
Gratis Non-partiSanIy Lincoln feels
taat he IS the one great cause and
excuse for LinCOln's presence on the
map, and Lincoln is grateful both for
the fame which Mr. Bryan has
DTDUr-hT rho fnu-D r-,7I
of the fact that Bryan himself is a
citizen o. the place All Lincoln now
delights TO honor the man 1t did not
in 1896