The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1908-08-20
Bryan,s Great Speech Of Accsptnnce.

was not the first to breach.
In his own way, William j. Bryan is
hardly less of marvel than the found
er Of the democratic party. He is not
universal genius, but in his own
sphere he gives constant evidence of
his amazing versatility. Twelve years
ago he was regarded purely as an agree
able talker. He had, it is true, while
in congress, delivered remarkable
speech on the tariff, and he had lectur-
ed on free silver. The business world,
knowing him not, turned from him in
disgust, and this was unnatural.
Those who have followed Mr., Bryan's
career since then have doubtless MOTTO
ed that he has never INDUCED in intern.
perate language. His ideas have often
been considered Incorporate, but he
seems to have been singularly immune
from the desire to denounce or abuse.
Some men in his own party enjoyed his
distrust, and with these he cared to
have no association. But we do not
recall single man in public life whom
he has assailed with personal abuse.
He has criticised the actions of certain
men; never the men personally. he
has never been a master of utilization
or denunciation. He has, in short, al
ways been a gentleman, though he
never claimed to be anything but q
commoner.
Mr.. Bryan has done more writing
and speaking than any other American
that ever lived, and the singular thing
about it is that he has never run out.
The secret of his success as public man
probably lies in the fact that he can
think on his feet. Most men-even
some of the greatest orators-have been
unnerved before great audiences or on
critical occasions. Not so Mr.. Bryan,
His mind is never SO clear as when he
stands before great gathering of men.
He seems to catch by intuition the
spirit of the occasion and he never fails
to rise to it.
His speech of acceptance is an incom-
parably fine address. 1t is as clear as
the chime of bell in the quiet evening
air. 1t is "a perfect sample of lucid
English and the method of it is beyond
criticism. There is no abuse of the
great corporations or of the predatory
rich. He adroitly quotes the assaults
made by President Roosevelt and Mr..
Taft upon the great industrial combi-
nations and the malefactors of great
wealth to show that there are radical
evils in the body polite. This is his
evidence; and on it he places his argu-
ment. These evils, admittedly existing
and demanding correction, he asks why
has not the republican party corrected
them; and inasmuch as it has not rem
edied the situation, he pertisently asks
what hope is there that this party will
every correct them.
On this point he says with great force:
'"The democratic party seeks not revo-
luton but reformation, and l need
hardly remind the student of history
that cures are mildest when applied at
once; that remedies increase in severity
as their application is postponed. Blood
poisoning may be stopped by the loss
of finger today; it may cost an arm
tomorrow or life the next day. So
poison in the body polite can not be
removed too soon, for the evils produc-
ed by it increase with the lapse of time.
That there are abuses which need to be
remedied, even the republican candi-
date admits; that his party is unable to
remedy them, has been fully demon
strated during the last ten years. /
have such confidence in the intelligence
as we'll as the patriotism of the people,
that / can not doubt their readiness to
accept the reasonable reforms which
-, our party proposes, rather than permit
the continued growth of existing abuses
to hurry the country on to remedies
more radical and more drastic"
This is the perfection of common
! sense expressed in terms of statesman
like moderation. 1t has been the claim
of the republican sophists that the tar
if should be revised, but it should be
revised by it's friends. OF all the una
dulterated nonsense, this strikes us as
the limit. The tariff is not an animate
thing. 1t is an abstract conception
rule by which the people are indirectly
taxed. We might as we'll talk of the
friends of the pons asinorum or of the
law of gravitation. The only persons
who by stretch OF language could be
called the friends of a protective tariff,
are the benefciaries of that system of
spoIiation.
Such tariff is framed entirely in the
interest of those bene6ciaries 1t is
purely system of legalized grand lar
ceny that taxes the masses-not for the
benefit of the government, but for the
benefit of the classes. To talk of hav-
ing the tariff revised by millionaire
manufacturers-or their agents in con-
gress-is the very refinement of absur-
dity. We might as we'll contend that
the law pertaining to burglary or arson
should be revised by the friends of
those two crimes, namely, the burglars
and the incendiaries.