Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-09-23


almost certain to be so. A decade
ago the title of hoy orator" no doubt
fitted. This is no longer the case
Here is man who has wide exper-
ience in politics and in the arts Of
campaigning. He has advanced in
politics from the sophomore class to
the post graduate class. He has
learned to hold his feelings in check
and has become careful, cautious and
wary In utterance, as well as in ac-
ticn. No more vital mistake could be
made by his opponents than to fail
to recognize to the, fullest degree that
they have to meet man who has be-
come shrewd political leader and
who to the qualities of political lead
ership that he has developed unites
IL capacity for appeal to the public
through the arts of oratory such as
las, seldom been known in this re-
public.
Bryan Enjoys It All.
Besides this, Mr.. Bryan enjoys the
game. He loves to mount the cam
paign platform and talk to the mutt
itudes. The waving of the campaign
banner, the music of bands, the ap-
rlause of the crowds-these are like
meat and drink to him. He has a
home at Fairview that is the ideal
home of the country gentleman. But
he can no more keep out of politics
and off the platform and the stump
han he can fly. He believes his
mission in life is to reform things
connected with the government of
this nation and he can no more help
preaching to the. people than can
Theodore Roosevelt. A while ago
there was talk that Bryan might
lie kept off the stump. This was non
sense of the sublimest sort. Bryan =
for president and tied and
/, thered from going on the stump is
unthinkable to the men who really
know Bryan. He would pine away and
sicken and probably die from the eff
fects.
Talk about this campaign being
hard work for Bryan" said man
who has been with him daily since
his nomination by the Denver con-
vention. "Why, he enjoys it. He
enters into it all as il he were Il
boy in a football game. He likes to
meet people, to shake hands with
them, to talk to them. That's why
he can stand so much of it.
Bryan No Longer Young.
Mr.. Bryan is no longer young. His
bald spot is increasing in size and
ones hand now would do little more
than cover it. His hair is getting
streaked with gray. The lines of
his face have deepened. The youth-
full freshness of his countenance has
departed. He has not the endurance
he had twelve years ago. His feat
ures generally give the impression of
LlutlHk UeCOuS luOiS oSt, hA0AS 'SSA >.
as II the wormwood of successive de-
fcats had been tasted. And yet he
Il, remarkably well preserved. His
figure is erect and strong. He uses
no tobacco and no stimulants. He
has never dissipated in the common
acceptance of that term. His remark
able voice seems not in the slightest
degree impaired or likely to be.
Just now he is suffering from boils
and his face has suffered from the
fact he has been shaving himself a
great deal ON running trains. His old
gray hat and well used black alpaca
coat look timeworn and trainworn
In fact, they are considerably batter
ed raiments when he gets before his
audience and feels the uplift that
CON, to the orator from witnessing
the crowd swayed by the sound of his
voice.
At Wheeling last Friday night, OF
the wharf of the Ohio river, Mr.. Bry
an spoke to not less than 10000 peo
pie that stood, on the side of the hill
formed by the river. bank. He was
at the foot of the hill. His voice
reached to the utmost edges Of the
crowd, and it was remarked repeat
edly by observers that those on the
fringes of the audience stayed to the
last of the meeting. and seemed a!
loath to go as those that stood neal
the speakers platform.
Will the Crowd Vote for Him.
1t is impossible to say to what ex
tent the crowds that throng to hea
Bryan are going to vote for him. On
cannot tell who is moved by tn
desire to hear oratory of the demo
cratic candidates mind and by sup
port of his policies. In this respect
it is the campaign of 1896 over agail
One notices generally in these crowd
gathered to hear Bryan large pre-
portion of sober, serious looking mer
who seem to be weighing the speak
ers utterances and each trying t
determine for himself what force h
shall give to them on election day
1t may well be believed that TIL
political leaders on either side ar
finding out just how the currents bt
meath the surface are moving. Til
would seem to be borne out by til
Y fact that the conservative political
when asked about things is apt