The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-04-22

them. You can knock them out, |
Jump on their prostrate forms !
and have them unanimously !
elected members of the Down and Out |
club. but they will be up and smiling
at the tap of the gong. They are like
the cat you put in meal sack and |
take seventeen miles away to lose it III
the wilderness, only to find on your re-
turn that the cat beat you home. You
can't lose some men. Defeat only
makes their friends more loyal. You
may think you have them beaten to a
frazzle,' but they are always ready
for the next round.
With these few brief remarks. ladies
and gentlemen, we will now introduce
the greatest comebacker of them all,
not that he needs Introducing but only
to show that we know him. Sure you
guessed his identity the first time.
The peerless leader is his middle
name-and not only the peerless leader
and peerless loser, but the peerless
comebacker. You can't lose William
Jennings Bryan.
There are people who held fallacious
know better. Any one who harbored
that delusion is like Coeridge's AN
cient Mariner
A sadder and a wiser man he woke the
morrow morn.
The Republicans were sure he was
done for in 1896. They again glee-
fully announced his demise in 1900.
After Parker's nomination in 1904
both the Republicans and a part of
the Democrats were essentially and
teetotally certain that this was the
end of Bryan. They finished him once
more in 1908 When he broke with
Jim Dahlman and other leaders of his
party in Nebraska in 1910 everybody
agreed that at last he was out OF it
that is, everybody but Bryan. They
left the most important man out of the
EQUATION. 1t is hard TO keep man
licked if he won't admit he's licked.
You all do know what happened at
the Baltimore convention and what the
peerless did to them there And now
he is premier Of the cabinet, thank
YOU, is only fifty-three, his health was
never better, and he still has the smile
that won't come off You can't keep
a good man down-not If his name is
Bryan.
Looks Like a Victor.
Did you ever see anything ike 1t
now, honestly, did you? That man has
been whipped enough to put a whole
regiment of ordinary politicians per
manently out of commission. But TO
look at him now you would think ne
had been a victor all his life. The
same Bryan he was twenty years ago
except that he is balder and bears
down a little more heavily on the
scales. His smile is as ready, his WI
as quick and his eye as bright as OF
yore. He walks with the same ath
letic spring, and his voice-that won
derful voice that has been heard Dy
perhaps more people than that of any
man now living-is as resonant as ever
The writer has known Mr.. Bryan fol
twenty three years-ever since ava!
back in 1890, when he was first elect
ed to congress. During these years
have at times been associated witt
and as a newspaper man-and haV'
studied him from every angle. AS
result of this study / say deliberatel,
that in many ways l regard him a
the most remarkable man now living
That is the secret of his power TO com
back. He has the goods.
Shortly after the inauguration wen
down to see him. Several hundre
other Americans were on the sam
mission-that is, all of them did nc
go to see Bryan, but they were
Washington. Some of them were ar
er Jobs. Others went to enjoy tn
show. But from the numbers at m
hotel and in the secretary of state
offices it was evident that most
them did see him or tried to. An
great swarms of them succeeds
From long experience the new seer
tary of state has acquired the knac
of getting visitors case in a VOL
or two and passing him on. That
the secret of being a public man. YC
have to pass them on and make the
think at the same time that you a
their sworn friend. 1t is a great a
and perhaps one that cannot be a
quired. One has to be born to it.
he does to being a king or poet
Keeps the Line Moving.
In the art of passing them on Sec
tary Bryan is past master. WI
one or two dexterous questions he b
their story. With another word
tells them what to do. His wit is
ways on tap. and his memory for fac
md names is remarkable. His p
sonal magnetism is in good work.
order. likewise his handshake a
frlendliness. Bryan can make eve
man feel that he is friend because
is fact. His good will for everybo
AM. An n rorror canainn sfraam