The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1908-10-09

"cross of gold' speech in Chicago.
The echo of that speech still lives.
Why? Like all true eloquence, like
the grafton for the crown, and the
Phillipics of Demosthenes, it had In
it the ring of sincerity. Bryan rings
true. In religion, in morals, in poll
tics, in every pathway OF life, the great
Nebraskan rings true. This it is that
gives him power. 1t is this that has
endeared him to the hearts of our
people; and it is this that has helped
him to hold them, in spite of all kinds
of adverse efforts of his enemies,
down to the present day. Never, in all
our history, has a party been so loyal
to a man as the Democratic party has
been to Bryan. Neither Webster nor
Clay, Blaine nor Mckinley, could boast
of such loyalty and love.
1t is a mistake to date the rise OF
Bryan from the Chicago convention
of '96. He was in Congress in 1892.
He was active then, energetic and ag-
gressive. His work in Congress gave
great promise. No speech on the tar
Tiff was as bold clear, fearless and
far-reaching 1t is to be regretted
that Mr. Bryan did not remain in Con-
gress. That was the place for him.
His "cross of gold" speech was the
worst mistake of his life. 1t led him
from the thorny path of constructive
craftsmanship to the f1ower-f1lled path
of the popular orator. The nation had
no great need of Chautauquans; it had
them in hundreds. 1t did need great
constructive statesmen. 1t hasn't had
but one or two in twenty-five years,
and not five in fifty.
The first time I met Bryan he re-
minded me of Cicero. l said, so
must the young Cicero have appear
ed" / did not think of Caesar then;
[ never think of Caesar now, when
see, hear of, or read after, Mr.. Bryan
Even the mature man is suggestive,
but no longer of Cicero.
Is Bryan radical? If so is ne CAN
gerous? The dangerous men in this
Republic are the men who think Will
liam Jennings Bryan is dangerous, or
that he would be dangerous presl-
dent Bryan believes in law, he be-
lieves in order. His whole life is full
of facts, as we'll as words, to prove 1t.
He is no more dreamer than / am,
than are hundreds of his countrymen.
| hope, as would to God that every
man who ever knelt at mothers
knee in this broad land, that he is an
idealist, that he has high ideals. God
only knows what the nation would be
now had it not had its idealists, its
Hancocks and Henrys, its Otises, and
it's Lincolns and Lees. But, say some,
Bryan is to bring in government own
ership of railroads, socialism, an
archy." Nobody is in any doubt about
the dangerous men in this Republic.
Some are even to be found in railroad
offices. They are the INSCRIPTIONS
men who would run up the freight
rates or run down the wage-scale to
pay dividends for sublimely watered
stock. Against these, Bryan is iron
or BRASS No! Mr.. Bryan is not dan
gerous. That is the last thing to
think of in connection with his candl-
dacy for the presidency.
Is he fit? Bryan, bred in the Drawn
and brain breeding west, will bring to
Washington not only what he went
there with, in the early nineties, but
the ripened result of fifteen years of
careful blowing, hoeing, reaping and
harvesting of the golden grain fields
of the world. No man has had such
a chance to study, not even Taft. No
man ever made better use of his time.
On the basis of his college education,
Bryan has been able to build up
superstructure SURPRISING anything of
which we have knowledge. In day
that is dawning, when we are to be
one of the worlds great powers, poll
tically as we'll as commercially, his
knowledge of the worlds affairs, his
splendid share in the worlds work,
will fit him for just such work as he
will find on his desk at Washington,
D. c., evedy day, if he is elected presi-
dent. Our foreign affairs, not only be-
cause of the Philippines, but because
of our Pacific coast and other Pacific
possessions, will take up much of his
time. Our rapidly increasing foreign
commerce will interest him. In ex-
tending it, he may be able to direct it
into new channels, and secure success
for it in old ones.
When in London, on his way home
from trip around the world, he at
tended the Worlds Peace Congress.
His speech was the best delivered be-
fore that body; his ideas, the noblest
as well as the most practical. Never
was the nation prouder of it's Great
Commoner than it was that day, and
never had the Republic better reason
to be proud than when he, one of the
kingliest of her sons, set a pace in
peace for royalty. Not all our efforts
at the Hague, Portsmouth, Tokyo or
anywhere else, were so fruitful as this
mans one earnest, honest effort in
london, and which raised him to
heights high as Lincoln at Gettysburg,
Lowell in his great ode, Washington
in his farewell address, Jefferson in
his Declaration of independence, Hen
ry in his address to the terrified Royal
lists God give him power to go on
in the good work.
BY a mans deeds Is he best known.
Bryan is the type of man most needed
in our public life. Absolutely incor-
ruptible, with convictions as we'll as
courage, with ideals to which he is
faithful, he will, if elected president,
be constant source of inspiration to
the whole country. His aims are high
his purposes holy. In the Commoner
a paper he owns and edits, he will not
take the best paying advertisements
because of moral purpose to publish
nothing that will, directly or indirect
ly injure the morals of his readers
What that means can be learned al
the Office of any heightened paper. He
is out now with a declaration in favor
of publicity of funds for the campaign
and he has put ban on any contri-
buttons big enough to be dangerous
| wish we could have a symposium
for this column of what even his
enemies will say of him when he
passes away. Mark what was said OF