The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-07-19

Two Pictures of the Great Nebras-
kan-One by Frank Mayes, the
Other by Tom Watson
As Mayes Sees Hin

nave ncI MI. Dl y du OiI CfSA al
occasions and have heard him speak
from various platforms, as have thou
sands of Americans everywhere. But
Mr. Bryan on the lecture platform
and Mr. Bryan in the forum of poll
tics are like two separate and dis
tinct persons. The Bryan of the
chautauqua circuit is quiet, COM
panionable, eloquent gentleman, al
ways entertaining, but rarely offend
ing, preaching ideals, but seldom at
lacking. The Bryan of the political
forum is action personified, terrific in
his verbal onslaughts, uncompromis-
ing in his advocacy of principle, I'M
flinching and defiant in the face of
odds either small or great-on the
one hand an Ajax defying the light
ming: on the other Jove hurting his
thunderbolts into the embatttled
hosts of the enemy.
"Adversaries, admiring his strength
minds, incapable of understanding a
great unselfish devotion to principle,
may depreciate his leadership and his
power. But millions of men all over
this country and in foreign lands to-
day attest their devotion to the man
and their confidence in him and in
the principles he represents.
"No private citizen travelling
around the globe ever received the
attention accorded this great Ameri-
can The crowned heads of the old
world came down from their thrones
to greet him. Philosophers, reform
ers. statesmen sought him for advice
and counsel. He dominated the great
world peace congress and he wrung
applause from the members of the
English parliament.
For sixteen years the leader of
the American democracy, he has re-
formed not only his own, but the re-
publican party as well. Every pro-
gressive policy for which either
stands today, every progressive law
placed upon the statute books since
1896. was advocated by Wm. J. Bry-
an before it was adopted. Every good
thing of which Theodore Roosevelt is
an advocate now was championed by
Bryan long before Roosevelt learned
that reform was popular
mo man in the history of the
world has had so many strictly per-
sOnal followers as has Mr.. Bryan to-
day. No private citizen anywhere
possesses the influence and power
that this one America nexerts over
those who believe in him Without
office, without organization, without
the power of money, he has but to
speak. and millions hang upon his
words. From the crusader of '96 he
has grown into the statesman of 1912.
Three times the standard-bearer Of
his party, he led as no leader had ever
done before, and as none is likely to
do again. Defeated at ST. Louis eight
years ago in his efforts to save the
party from the domination of Wall
Street. he lived to see the candidate
whom the interests had nominated,
ruthlessly abandoned and slaughter
ed by the very men who gave him,
over Bryan's protest, the nomination.
Victorious at Baltimore eight years
later. he contemplates today, as the
result of his leadership, a party purg-
ed of those interests whose object and
record is to control or betray
"Great?-Bryan looms on the polit-
ical horizon like a mountain peak ris-
ing over the foothills that border the
plain. At Baltimore--He lowered
among his fellows like a giant among
pigmies: in the presence of his de-
famers and detractors, lion with a
pack OF jackals at his heels. His was
the one puissant, dominating figure
OF the occasion, the master mind that
moulded the convention to his will
and rescued his party from the
treacherous grip and lecherous influ-
ences of predatory wealth whose paid
representatives had been sent there
to control IT,
There has been no such bold, Wig
orous. and eloquent leader as Bryan
In the annals of American politics,
and his part in the Baltimore conven-
tion will give him an even higher
place in history than he could 9TH
erwise have occupied"
A.