Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-05

rich tOHetneT WIN every variety OF lne
well-to-do. The preacher, the teacher, the
college professor, the politician, the bust
ness man, the labor union delegate, touch
elbows in a Pullman car. Here, under
more democratic conditions than are to be
found in any other spot on the continent,
men live, move and have their being, and
here one sees, reduced to the dimensions Of
a drawing room, the whole game of ma
tlonal life.
The national campaign which closed last
November was one of the least %eventful
which we have passed through since Mr..
Bryan first formed the habit Of running
for the presidency. This phase of the
campaign was faithfully reflected in the
discussions Of the Pullman car. Unlver-
sally II wal admitted that Taft would win.
The only question was as to the extent of
the majority and throughout all the pre-
dictions there ran so friendly a thread Of
comment upon the man who has since
become president that it was generally Inn
possible to get w anything like a real
political discussion. A census of, the Pull
man car votes would have elected Taft by
a little larger majority than he actually
received, but its verdict would have been
pIhCNlCdiAN Jnhl WnlCn the COullIg IcilutISO
in November.
The only eddy in this placid talk of the
smoking room would occur when some
democrat of the Bryan wing got into an
argument with a democrat of the con-
sentative type. When this happened the
company once more took courage, and felt
that politics was worth while. Now and
then the hope was not in vain-the sparks
flew.
1 remember one such incident on a train
leaving Kansas City for the west. Kansas
City is a point which the transcontinenta
traveller never forgets, because 1t has the
most crowded, dirty and uncomfortable
union station on the continent. 1t lie, how
ever, one Of the great distributing points
for western travel. The transcontinental
trains all start about 6 o'clock In the even
Ing. The wise traveller makes his way
Immediately to the dining car, which is
cut off at an early hour. Having satisfied
the inner man, he repairs as promptly as
possible to the smoker, in order to secure
a place. On the occasion to which l allude
the room was already fairly filled and
the air comfortably blue, while two Mis-
sourians, each a little excited, were in the
midst of a warm discussion. The Bryan
representative had just expressed the opin-
ion that Mr.. Bryan was the greatest ex-
ponent Of democracy since Jefferson's time,
and would in the end lead the people to
victory.
The picture of Bryan as leader fairly
made the other Missourian squlrm. Taking
a balck cigar from his mouth with his left
hand and gesticulating in a large circle
with his right, he said: Il was a democrat
until twelve years ago, but Bryan and his
crowd have forced me to vote the repub-
lican ticket so long that l don't know
that I'll ever get out of the habit. It's bad
enough" he said, Ito have Bryan as a
candidate, but when you talk Of him as a
leader and compare him to the great
Thomas jefferson then nothing short OF
profanity-and that of the most acid va
r~iety-can express my feelings. Bryan as
the leader OF the democratic party" con-
tinued he, reminds me OF the time when
Uncle Tom Sitting of Pike county sent his
prize mule down to st. Louis by boat
Uncle Tom was prouder OF this mule
the mule was eighteen hands ~hlgh-than he
was OF anything on his farm, not even ex.
cepting his wife, and in order that the
mule might reach the commission agent &c
q whom he was consigned in perfect safety
4 he sent a trusted colored man named
4 Ephraim to look after the mule. As
Ephraim couldn't read, the address Of the
: commission agent had been carefully writ.
$ ten on a tag and tied to the mules left
fore foot. The boat reached st. Louis al
right and the morning they got there the
captain found Ephraim and the mule or
deck, but very much puzzled as to VIVA
! they should do. Where are you going
Uncle Ephraim? said he. Well, boss sale
the old man, scratching his head, that IL
the question. l dunno where we's gwine
3 de mule he dunno where we're 'gwine
T. an he done ct up his tag The trouble is
gentlemen" continued the man from Pike
that the democratic party under Mr.
Bryan's guidance not only doesn't know
" where it's going, but it's eaten up it's tag
so that you can't see anything but populis
labels.
Now, sir" he added to his antagonist
who was somewhat overwhelmed by tn
story, there are three reasons why Bryan
will not be elected in November; the frs
: reason is Theodore Roosevelt; the secont
reason is william Howard Taft, but tn
third and principal reason is William Jen
nings Bryan"