New-York tribune., 1908-08-16
HAS sfR. BRYAN CROWN

The country has heard very little since MS
nomination of the suggestion sometimes maue'
especially here in the East. before the DenVe'
convention. that Mr. Bryan has grown" The
silence of his apologists since then may be ac-
cepted as evidence that the platform put 1orth
by his direction effectively disposes OF the ldea
that wears and mature deberation upon public
affairs had broadeRed the Democratic candl-
dates outlook. sobered his judgment and given
him poise. sanity and something akin to states
manship The chief thing Mr. Bryan seemed to
fear was that the country would get the I'M
nression that he had grown" and so he was az
some pains, by no means unavaillng pains. 10
prove that this suggestion was vile asperslon
upon his character. His success in shatterlng
the misconception was as great as when, upon
his return from his trip around the world, lie
dispelled the illusion that he had acquired wis
dom upon his travels.
Mr. Rrvan unlike Topsy. just doesn't grow.
He has the Olympian possession of mental
youth He is a Boy Orator, an eternal Boy
Orator Age robs most men Of intellectual vent
uresomeness but not Mr.. Bryan. Time gives
fixity to most mems convictions, but Mr.. Bryans
retain the fufdity of youth. Most men in public
life acquire in time we'll thought out policies to
which they adhere with firmnesS, but Mr. Bryan
never thinks anything out clear through TO the
end and shifts his ground with astonishing ease
and frequency. Most men take root 1nteIlecru-
ally Mr. Bryan's mind shows an immature hos
pitality to novelty. He has not grown in the
sense In which every now and then it is hope
fully suggested that he has grown-to w.t. so as
to take a definite intellectual position which is
critical of the half-b baked suggestions constantly
being hazarded by the ungrown
Not only has Mr.. Bryan not acquired that
poise which would recommend him to persons OF
mental stability, but he is really in Important
ways a less respectable figure as leader than
he once was His sincerity and the earnestness
and reality of his convictions have been called
into question by his own conduct. He has de-
clared himself for principles only to abandon
them the next moment because of their failure
70 prove acceptable to the public When, after his
defeat on the silver issue in 1896, he insisted on
the insertion of bimetallism in the platform OF
1900 he created an impression Of rugged honesty
and unvielding devotion to beliefs, and when
four years later he made brave fight against
the overwhelming opposition Of his party for his
radical policies the public imagination warmed
toward him man of uncompromsing conVlc-
tions Now his own backing and filling IN re-
spect to government ownership, the initiative
and referendum and other questions have given
him far and wide the reputation Of trimmer,
while his amazing willingness TO run upon a
platform which he is convinced is wrong and to
promise to carry out policy which he says will
fail strips him of every claim TO craftsmanship.
He is politician, playing his game with ideas
of which he has only imperfect grasp and
which he employs not because he thinks they are
right but because he thinks they will enable
him to win His convictions are mere instru-
ments to success.
Mr.. Bryan has not grown, but the country has
come to know him better He commands less
respect and confidence than in his previous ap-
pearances before the public in his present ca
pacty. Sane people have taken the measure Of
his capacity as a thinker and administrator and
found 1t wanting. Extreme radicals have taken
the measure of his character as leader with
convictions and also found it wanting.