Evening star., 1922-04-26
They Like the Colonel.

Although it is several days since
Col. William Jennings Bryan took oc-
,.asion to announce that he could not
become a candidate for United States
senator from Florida, because, at mis-
age, he could not bring himself 10
engage in personal politics" the edi-
torial writer's of the country still are
getting enjoyment from discussion OF
what might have been, and what Is.
They handle the peerless leader With
out malice. He, at least. they ADMIT.
passed up an opportunity to get into
the limelight of a national campaign
And for this the editorial writers
are willing to grant commendation:
Naturally there develops a vein OF
satire in view of the recent utterances
of the commoner along eSolutioh
lines, when, for instance, the Cnicaso
Post independently points out that
I'VE must regard this as an act Oh
of proving that Darwinism is a fal-
lacy. Mr.. Bryan probably feared that
his nomination might be interpreted
as evidence of the truth OF natural
selection and survival OF the mt
test 1t may be as well for the sake
of the crusade OF ~ q Mo nph-san Rrvan
should remain out of the Senate
There are certainly times when Its
behavior, even viewed from ais,
tance, reminds us of the banderlog.
1t is the opinion of the Roanoke
Times (democratic) that tneIe Is no
certainty that Mr.. Bryan could have
heen nominated If he had consented
to permit the use Of his name as
candidate" despite the fact that tne
Times believes that his strength OF
personality, command Of oratory ana
national prestige would nave mace
him prominent figure in a 'body
which. with the exception Of half a
dozen men, Is made up nowadays OF
men of distressingly mediocre call
ber."
That the colonel only had this par
ticular senatorship, and the lmHe-
diate present. in view Is the ,hoa cohsnoa
(republican), which calls attention
that "he does not go so far as 10
say that at his age he would not &c
oept a fourth nomination for tne
presidency" but the MancnesteI
Union (independent republican? seems
asmuch as Florida must send demo-
cratic senator to Washington anyhow.
"it should be said that on the scoIe
of entertainment Senator Bryan coulo
make Florida more OF national iac-
tor than almost anybody else OF ms
political affiliations" while the a Ian
what sarcastically contends that give
him time and he will be senator on
the initiative of Florida, without be.
ing a formal aspirant or an avowed
candidate"
dated by the Springfield (Mass:)
Union (republican). which proelaims
that the result Of the canvass made In
Florida by the commoner's friends
"haye been sadly disappointing to
him. His heart is still in the grave.
There was no contagion in the idea
and now he publicly announces that
he is definitely out Of the contest. His
days as a peerless leader have al
ready been numbered. 1t will proba-
bly, take him longer to wear out the
ctiautauqua than it did the demo-
cratic party"
xette (republican) 1t would be unfair
to suggest that Mr.. Bryan quit the
Florida race because he was afraid OF
dafeat. It believes that. while the SEN
ate "might be pleasant It would De
confining," and. after all, age cannot
wither nor custom stale Mr.. Bryan's
infsnite variety. He elocutes against
the monkeys as effectively as he DID
against the gold standard; he loves
prohibition with all the fervor with
which he once loved a silver dollar.
He il a canny mortal and probably
sees signs that there Is no cnance l tol
the Florida senatorship-yet. He mas
haa three walloping lfckings and sehi
shows no trace of sourinz."
Right from his latest adopted
home territory the Tampa Times
(demoratic) sounds q note of deep
regret that the colonel did not accept
the rage Of battle. 1t declares that
had he allowed HIS name to be sug.
gested In the primaries "he could not
have lost" The reasons for refusin8
10 enter the race. in the opinion OF the
Times were that great bitterness
might have been engendered by the
campaign and also MfA Bfynn's tll-
ness has Influenced Mr.. Bryan, be-
cause he has Recognized that 1t u
his duty to give his time to her COM
fort rather than to the furtherance
Of his political fortunes
His refusal. In the opinion OF tbs
Reno (Nev. J. Gazette (republican). has
demonstrated that he has not lost a
narticle Of the shrewd sense that haA
characterized his public life In gen.
erai." The Gazette believes that
there was no reason why he should
70 to the Senate, although 1t believes
fhat. .hiD influence - 30 great thak
were the democrats to hold ma
tionai convention to nominate . can
dadate TOR Frestdent tomofroN hs