Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1914-06-19
RRyAN's VALUE TO WILSON

Weekly: So far as is ascertalnable 10
the Law student of Mr.. Wilson's men,
tai reaches and their tributaries,
bayous and lagoons, he has not chang
cd his mind about anything except
the initiative and referendum ana
William }. Bryan since he became a
grown man and began to have matur-
ed convictions and opinions. lie pc
came a convert to both these great
natural forces in present-day polltlcM
life after coming i'll contact with the
workings and discovering their values
at first hand. He discovered the VIZ
tues of the initiative and referendum
when he went out into the NorthWest
and visited the states of Oregon and
Washington. Mr.. Bryan was rather
wished on Mr.. Wilson by the severe
and memorable logic Of the political
situation growing out OF the Baltl-
more convention. Mr.. Wilson good
fairy did that job. After MIR. Wilson
was elected there was nothing TOR IL
but to offer to make Mr.. Bryan secre-
tarv Of state, and President Wilson
has never had a luckier day than the
one on which Mr.. Bryan accepted.
For years and years engineers went
to Niagara Falls, looked at the tumb-
ling water and scratched their heads:
Ali that they saw was an unemployed
force; energy going to waste. They
never saw any good in the falls until
thew were harnessed and made useful.
That, in effect, is what Mr.. Wilson has
done with Mr.. Bryan. He has cons
served and made useful great naru-
raj, political resource. Mr.. Wilson IS
the first man to whom Mr.. Bryan has
ever been loyal subordinate or m
deed, subordinate at ALL The peerless
leader mas become the peerless lieuten-
ant. He is President Wilson'S politi-
cal chief-of staff. Aside from their
political and official relationship, L
Venture to say that Mr.. Wilson and
Mr.. Bryan have become devoted per-
sonal friends
These words of Mr.. Wilson about
Mr.. Bryan must be taken at their
face value: "Not only have Mr..
Brvan's character, his justice, his
sincerity, his transparent integrity, his
Christian principle, made deep inn
preston upon all with whom he has
dealt; but his tact in dealing with men
of many sorts, his capacity for bust
ness, his mastery Of the principles of
each matter he has been called upon
to deal with, have cleared away many
a difficulty 1 cannot say what
pleasure and profit I, myself, have
taken from close association with MIR.
Bryan or how thoroughly he has
seemed to all Of us who are associated
with him here to deserve not only our
confidence but our affectionate adj
miration.'
A little while ago a journalist Of
some distinction and considerable
reputation came to Washington. A
young reporter, not greatly impressed
by the elder mans attachments, rem
dered summary Judgment: ct don It
think he'll last long. Nobody likes
his stuff except Mr.. Blank.'' It
should be said that Nh. Blank was the
active, managing, sole proprietor of
the newspaper for which the elder
journalist wrote. So far as Washing
ton at large is concerned, and it does
the local acumen and intelligence little
redit, Mr.. Bryan is in somewhat the
same posture. Nobody likes his stuff
except Mr.. Wilson. That, in briefest
compass, is Mr.. Bryan's impregEable
position. The secretary of state has
not made himself popular at Washing
ton. No public man for many years
occupying high, important and respon-
sible place in an administration has
been so derided. The town is flushed
with stories of his gaucheries and of
his blunders and "breaks' made III
intercourse. official and social, with
the diplomatic corps. Most Of these
stories are preposterous and incredible
on the face Of them, but they are
eagerly caught up and repeated and,
for the most part, believed.
Even if these stories were true,
they would not diminish by so much as
a hand 8 weight the outstanding cir
cumstance that Mr.. Bryan is the most
important agent Of his administration.
He is Mr.. Wilson's outside man. He
goes on all the out-of-town assign
ments. A list of Mr.. Bryan's callers
through any week and an adequate
summary of their conversations with
the secretary Of state would reveal to
the dullest understanding how and
why and in what degree Mr.. Bryan is
and has been the largest single 1actor
other than Mr.. Wilson in the accepted
and commonly recognized success of
this democratic administration. Mr..
Bryan has not sought honor or glory
or praise or reward for his shore Of
the work. He has effaced himself.
He has followed in the president g
lead, and in doing it he has astonish-
ed Washington: Everybody thought
when he came here that he would but
himself constantly to the fore: that
he would crowd the president out of
the limelight; that he would be diff
cult to manage; that he would emit
views and opinions and judgments on
every subject Of personal discussion:
that be would have to be reconciled.
TO the general mystifcation, Mr..
Bryan cast himself for the role of the
tail Of the kite and has never once
stepped outside of the character.
FOR PANAMA TRAFFIC
To pass a vessel through. all the
/ kAA L.