Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-24

sin is reproach to any people.-Ps.
14:34.
Mr.. Bryan is an optim1st. He be-
lieves the world is getting better all
the time and it is impossible to be
around him great deal without shar-
ing his hopeful view of things. l con-
Tess that / have caught the infection
and believe firmly in the final tri-
umph of righteousness over every
form of wrong. That accounts for my
Iunfaltering faith in Bryan.
The situation must be exceptionally
difficult if Mr.. Bryan cannot extract
a grain OF comfort from it. To Illus
| trate this habit of his / recall that one
time | was lamenting the fact that
admired, permitted his desire for re-
venge to warp his intellect and in
duced him to lambast Bryan in each
and every issue of ibis magazine. This
was while Watson. was in New York
lending the weight of his great name
to Colonel Mann of unsavory memory
in the publication of Tom Watson
Magazine" Mr. Bryan did not share
my concern. Not a shadow crossed
his smiling visage. He was borrow
ing no trouble. He had no regrets.
His reply was eminently character.
IiStic of the man. He said simply
that Watson was doing a good work
asked him how he figured that
monthly abuse of simself could be
accounted good work. He replied
that Watson was there in New York
where in 1896 Organism was called
lpopulism and that Tom Watson was
rapidly convincing the average New
Yorker that Bryan was not populist
i Having. known Mr.. Bryan init nately
for IL years, and shared his confidence
all that time, l naturally feel a closer
Interest in his welfare than those less
intimately associated with him. That
is why some people cannot understand
my devotion to the man as we'll as tC
his cause. | once said to him: Mr.
Bryan, do you relaize what it will
mean were you to assume the role o.
the man on horseback and say, Come
on, boys?' - His reply was promp
and decisive: THAT is just what de
mocracy must try to avoid. Democ
racy must make this government 81
good, so just, so equitable that there
will be no room for the man on horse
: back"
Personally, the great commoner il
the cleanest man l have ever known
have heard him on many occasions
both as speaker and as listener.
have heard stories told in his presenc,
that were more or less "off color
THE remainder of the crowd ma.
have laughed, but Mr.. Bryan never
: He never told story that could no
have been told in parlor in the pres
ence of ladies.
Not long ago, Mr. Bryan attends
a reception for men only. He toll
a number of witty stories and had tn
crowd convulsed. A stranger appears
lin the crowd and entered into the cor
lversation and the general give an
3 take of the occasion. BY and by Their
fell from his lips coarse remark
Z Instantly, Mr.. Bryan's firm jaw close
Z like a steel trap and his expressly
|eyes snapped fire. The stranger wa
: hustled out and several apologies wer
offered Mr.. Bryan for the occurrenc,
''Never mind me- said Mr.. Bryan
''the remark did ME no harm; my col
Germ was for the boy waiting to shak
: my hand. II was not the sort of speec
: for boy to hear"
II However, there is not space in TIL
], magazine to tell anecdotes of tn
marvellous man. l must get down
: brief and concise reasons why b
), should be elected. have begun wit
: This optimism. his hopefulness, his b
lief in the ultimate triumph of IL
fright. l have suggested his persons