The daily sentinel., 1908-02-04


lican correspondent for The Chicago
Record-Herald. has attracted wide
spread attention by the following
article regarding the strength of Will
liam Jennings Bryan in the field of
politics and in the country gener-
ally:
Looking over the presidential field
as it has developed up to this time
we find Colonel Bryan almost sure
to be the Democratic candidate ani
Judge Taft not quite sure of the Re
publican nomination. OF the nomi-
nation of Bryan at Denver there is
very little doubt in the minds of
the best-informed observers here.
There is talk of Judge Gray and Gov
ernor Johnson and former Attorney
General Harmon, but the masses of
the Democracy seem bent upon Civ
ing Mr. Bryan chance to wage his
third and last battle for the seat of
the mighty in the White house.
Those who favor Bryan may be fairly
divided into three classes Those
who sincerely want him because they
believe in him and love him: those
who somewhat indifferently look
upon his nomination as inevitable
and therefore not worth bothering
about. and those who consider a third
nomination as the only way to get
rid of him. "If We don't name him
now" say these last named, 1--WE
shall have him on our hands four
years hence. For heavens sake, let's
get through with him
How surprised these Democrats
would be If Mr.. Bryan were to win
out and carry the country at the
polls, Not only they would be
,teI, hut IN thA Do h
lican camp as we'll 1t has become
the fashion. especially in the East,
to look upon Mr.. Bryan as a sort of
perennial candidate for the presi-
dency, as one who always aspires and
never arrives.
1t is very easy to underrate Mr..
Bryan's strength. 1t Is underrated
| by many men who see only the sur
| face of things and who have not the
| knacls of getting into touch with the
real heart of the people. 1t is my
opinion that Mr.. Bryan is this time
a formidable bidder for the White
house chair. This does not mean that
he is to be elected. In fact. the
chances are probably little in favor
of the Republican ticket, but men
who talk of Mr.. Bryan as a sure
loser, as already defeated. as bit of
know what they are talking about
1t is going to be sure enough 'hght
for the presidency this year and no
mistake
Disregard the professional poll
tician and get down among the peo-
ple-"the plain people," Mr.. Bryan
himself loves to call them-and you
will find that the Nebraskan is
stronger than ever before. AS
said some time ago, he has worn well.
In his honesty and sincerity the peo-
pie have full confidence. He is the
only Democrat who stands in a class
with President Roosevelt in the af-
fections of the masses. Roosevelt
and Bryan are the only universally
popular public men We have today,
and logically, from the standpoint of
the thought and hope of the vast
majority of the people, they should
be the rival candidates. The point 1
wish to make is that the men or the
party who proceed upon the theory
that Bryan is not dangerous as
vote-getter are likely to wake up
some time and find themselves sadly
mistaken.
Three Reasons.
How is it that Bryan has survived
two defeats and one eclipse and yet
grown stronger in the affections of
the people who have the votes to
cast?
To my mind there are three prin-
cipal reasons and / shall state them
in the illogical, reverse order of their
seeming Importance:
First-His character as an earnest,
sincere, patriotic man.
Second-His keeping close to the
people through his lectures before
Chautauqua and other gatherings.
Third-His championships of the
Roosevelt policies-the policies
which have brought on new era In
our public affairs.
A word or two on the second point.
Men who gain their political impress
sions chiefly from the newspapers or
from other men they meet and talk
with in business contact or in hotels
do not seem to understand what a
tremendous factor in the populariza-
tion of a public man the lecture plat
form is Certainly few understand
1t in the East, where the lecture is
not as much in vogue as 1t Is in the
West. In one of his most interest
ing letters Mr.. Curtis told Record
Herald readers the other day that
Colonel Bryan earns $4,000 year
on the lecture platform. Have you
ever stopped to think what that
means? 1t means the personal ac-
quaintance-the magnetism of actu-
al contact-between Mr.. Bryan and
200 900 or 100000, who are pleased,
nay. often charmed by Mr.. Bryan,
spread their own impressions to five
or ten or twenty times as many more.
Think of this and you will not be
surprised that Mr.. Bryan has main
tanned his popularity.
The Commoner is not the only
public man who has found the lee
ture routs mighty road toward the
White house. Senator La Toilette OF
Wisconsin Is another. Next to Bryan
he is today the most popular man In
the lecture field. We are glad to-
hear that he has not only paid off all
his debts by his earnings on the plat
form, hut has nut hy n guug sum for