The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-02-20
MR.. BRYAN IN LAKELAND.

Only the drawing power OF a great
personality could in such Indictment
weather as We had last night have
brought out the large audience
which filled the Auditorium to hear
the lecture Of William Jennings
fiyan. And those present who went
to hear the wise words of man rich
IN thought and ripe in experience
were we'll repaid, while others who
had in view the violent oratorital
gyrati0ns and gesticulations Of a
stump speaker foaming at the mouth
With sonorOus defamation and who
measure the success of a speech by
the volume of sound were doubtless
disappointed.
MIR. Bryan was the lecturer last
night. not the partisan political ora
tor; and we heard him with his
mind in repose, with those tremen.
dous fighting powers which have
rade him world figure Quiescent
tor the time as he ambled easily
along through phrases familiar to
him by frequent repetition, giving
Us the cheering message that the
world was growing better and the
outlook for the human race bright
ching all the time
When this famous man talks in
public many people go to hear him
chiefly to study the man himself,
fia voice, his expression, manner
isms, the things that 90 to make up
personality; to quicken their imagi-
nations with the stmulatins
thought that the man they are lis
tening to has had the most mar
vclons political career OF any Amer
lean OF his day, and through al the
stress and storm of three mighty
camial9nS when millions Of his fol
low elllzens sought to put him in the
greatest Office in the world. has
borne himself with the calm dignity.
unruiiled c0olncss, stainless honor
and staiWart good sense which mark
the man who is truly great
Mr.. Bryan is simplicity itself: has
no undue self-consciousness. never
rants nor roars nor seeks mere mere
tricions rhetorical effect. He is the
prince of orators because he has
something to say worth listening to.
says it in LANGUAGE Of limpid clear
ness in bel!-like tones. without clio
cutionary tricks or devices of any
Kind, never tires you by needless rep
BUTTONS nor cAaspcrates you by over
elaboration of arguments, and when
ne is through he has the rare good
sense to stop right then aud let his
audience go.
Eut the hest part of this rre,.
man, the strongest impression he
makes upon fair and receptive
mind is that he is a thoroughly sin
cere and earnest man, manly man
good man. with NOTHING BOGUS
about him; who has consecrated hi
life TO high ideals and is irving IT,
&c a positive force for Good i'm his
day and time. He didn't use n sn-
poriatlVc or eNa@"erative i'm any
phrase he uttered last night hut we
can't follow his example i'm that re-
spect in what We say of him here
for to speak of this stalwart Amer
lean Justly is TO speak in superlatiye !
terms.
Perhaps Mr.. Bryan uttered no
new thought last night. MI etu-
Gated, well-informed people are sun. |
posed to he familiar with all that he
told us, but we know it better now |
LOT ne grouped his facts so effective
~. and drew his conclusions so clear
ly that he was absolutely convincing
aud the dullcst mind could follow
him without trouble. He told Ms
that the world was growing better
because ii was growing in intelli-
eence. in morals and in the science
Of government. ana his lecture was
devoted to the e'@t"-ntion of those
three branches o. tic e,,hioct
We are all rlad t. r. heard him
md when hn fn;-ho' '-~- night
While. perhaps some of MS didn't !
'caliZc il. II was nevertheless rue ,
hat We had listened to a great man
nd he had told rs some Great things
rell worth travelling far to hear.