The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-17
The Last to Leave the Cross-the First at the
SepulchreAn Eloquent And Just Tribute to Persistence
Of Woman AS Comforter And An Inspiration
BY DOLLY DALRYMpLE
n SUPPOSE I shall remember it all r


life; it is not thing I shall want to
q forget. that day in the long ago ago
when my beloved father, the late Judge
James NJ. Arnold, stood in the old Win
ME Davis Wigwam'' and introduced to a
vast multitude of Birmingham's foremost
citizens, in beautifully chosen words,
Americas honored statesman, the Hon.
William Jennings Bryan.
The issue then was free silver. Mr. Bry-
an was it's exponent and to my father
he was something of an ideal, which
meant a great deal more even than the
word ordinarily implies, and out of no
dusk could have come a mosaic more ex-
quisite, nosegay more redolent of high
minded courtesy and chaste sentiment
than the tribute he so gracefully paid to
Mr.. Bryan.
1 suppose I shall remember it all my
life; it is not thing / shall want to
forget, that day, yesterday, when with
hands outstretched in the happy antici-
patton of collecting profit, 1 went to
meet for the first time the Hon. William
Jennings Bryan to pay my humble trib-
ute and therein he threw the tinsel of his
wisdom and his scholarly attachments.
I had heard Mr.. Bryan speak often,
and well knew that as a statesman he
had come up from very nearly every
issue he has sponsored. covered with
honor and / we'll knew that when his
fruitful mind and steadfast heart went
a-walking for the benefit of humanity,
for it's uplift, that he would take with
him one perfect and we'll built bomb!
He's like that.
Well did I know that Mr.. Bryan has
suffered disillusionment. No idealist as
he is ever gets by without it, but well
did know also that now he could
Love without regret
And without jealousy few slow tears
Only
But why quote?
If / knew Mr.. Bryan better or, less.
I should in all probability refrain from
irving to transcribe him to dull gray
type But as 1 know him much and lit
tie. I dare from very ignorance attempt
to lay upon paper a few of his well de-
fined talents.
Mr.. Bryan as 1 found him yesterday
might have made one think of the TITO
jan Horse"-all ''innocuous desuetude"
chat coined phrase of Mr.. Cleveland's
which is incompatible for brilliant OBJ
scurity)" without, but teeming with bel
ligerent activity within
Accepting the facts from his record
that he is fighter, it is still more sur
Il h fvra for n a
first time that he is a most genial.
kindly, we'll poised, gentleman Who is
not in the least breathless from exer-
ton. The man who is today donating
his God-given talents as an orator ana
a scholar toward freeing this broad land
of ours, challenging the very country it
self to a fight for dry nation; ITO see
the day when there shall not be a drunk
ard in the land, nor blot upon the
flag"-has not a line of care upon his
keen, kind eyes.
1t would be impossible to call Mr.. Bry-
an reformer, and propaganda is also
a misnomer Let's call him a tremendous
personality, maybe that's the word we
are looking for, and yet it Is seldom thar
he qualities with the one word only, in
the public print, no matter how compre-
henSive.
Mr.. Bryan's very presence proclaims
him as an orator with but few equals
and no superior in public life today, or
for the last 25 years as for that matter.
His personality. insistent and compell-
ing, reveals him as man above re-
proach, both in public and in private life;
a finished scholar, a deep thinker,
scion Of measures and laws that are pro-
gressive and moral, for in addition to all
his other qualifications Mr.. Bryan is
Christian gentleman and always on the
ci1 nf Wo know
where he stands, and that he is depend
able, for he is bold enough to state his
convictions, and he is as fearless as no
is strong.
Truly Mr.. Bryan does not belong to
the United States alone-his voice up.