Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-06-30
THE SOURCE OF BRYAN'S
STRENGTH.

An ordinary man, defeated once, IS
done for. A man even above the aver
age, if defeated twice in a run for the
same office, is effectually discredited
and put in the down and out class.
1t takes an extraordinary man to be
given three opportunities, to have the
honor of three nominations for a high
office at the hands of great political
party
But even an extraordinary man
when defeated three times would seem
to be inevitably shorn of all dominat-
ing influence and power, to have been
RELOCATED effectually to the discard.
But it has not proved so with Bry-
an, of Nebraska.
Bryan to-day is as strong as ever.
Bryan to-day looms above any man
in the party one feels like saying in
the country and still be within the
limits of facts.
No other human being could have
gone to Baltimore and done what Bry
an has done, forced the convention to
take a straight path toward the pro-
gressiye policies that the people are
insistent upon, forced it to place the
stamp of it's disapprobation upon such
financiers as Ryan, Belmont and Nor
gan and denounce their efforts to
manipulate parties for their own sell
fish purposes.
| Before the convention met it was
freely predicted that the steam roller
would be used on Bryan, that he
would be made to know his place, and
that while he would have the privll-
eye of any delegate of expressing his
views he would have no domineering
force in the great national body.
I We all know how the steam roller
worked, how effective it was, and how
Bryan was discredited.
Instead of its working that way,
Bryan held the whip handle. Defeated
in his first battle of the convention he
emerged from" the conflict stronger
with the country and with force OF
public opinion behind him that com
PEELED the convention to recognize the
correctness of his attitude in the main
end to regard Bryan's views more
than those of any other man present
The source of Bryan's strength lay
in the fact that he represented public
opinion, that he had gagged public
sentiment, that he realized the work
ings of the minds of the mass OF the
party, of the nation, and that as their
mouthpiece re had an authority and
rover that no man. set of men, or or
ganization could afford to despise.
Prvan forg~t manfully, fought open
iy, forqNt straightforwardly. Unlike
Roosevelt. he did not go off to hote',
st at q rhone all dav. and dictate to
lieutenants on the afioor Of the con-
vontion. Where ire fight was, the e
was BRYAN, leading in person, the tar
get himself of attack, repelling as
sault, meeting opposition, infusing en-
thusiasm into those believing as he
did. and forcing from the convention
recognition of the justice of the cause
bo ocDOucpd
The people of the United States are
weary of being exploited. They have
had their eyes open to the methods OF
RYAN, Belmont, Morgan and their
class. Thew know them now as they
have never known them before. They
resent their sfrangle hold upon the
government, iron business interests,
nnon the very life of the nation. Bry-
an has kept his fingers upon the pub
lie pulse throughout the land as prob
ably no other man has done, and
when he took the floor at Baltimore to
fight these very interests he knew
that in untold millions of American
breasts there was a fervent Amen
to his denunciations and demands
Moral strength, devotion to princi-
pie, courage to stand for the right ana
fight bravely to the end-those are the
things that make Bryan strong.
Bryan typifes the aroused spirit OF
the American people of today regard
less of parties. He has his weakness
es, his failings, but rising above them
stand ont sterling characteristics that
make bin TIE. tribune of the masses,
the Spokesman for the inartculate
millions.