The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1922-04-21
MR.. BRYAN's DECISION

the best thinking people of the state
are beginning more and more to real
ize that a great opportunity awaited
Florida if this man so possessed of
wonderful parts and influence could
have entered that body-how useful
he would have been to the state and
to the nation.
We feel a degree of pride in being
able OF say the discussion his sug-
gested entrance into the race precip-
itated, no supporter of his said one
word in derogation of Mr.. Tram
mell's public record or private char
acter.
Their comments concerning him
commendable journalism and without
exception were couched in terms of
gentility and the utmost courtesy.
We wish it were possible to make
the same observation concerning the
comments of those who were antago-
! nistic to Mr.. Bryan's entering the
race.
Notwithstanding the fact that Mr..
Bryan was three times anointed as the
leader of ourt National Democracy;
that most of the principles he enunci-
ated as the cardinal principles of the
party have since been enacted into
laws, he was nevertheless denounced
as illogical, visionary and unsound.
What are the things he stood for?
That the gold standard would not
fix the unit of values or stabilize the
international exchange of moneys or
perform the functions it's advocates
so hOtly commended.
When put to the test it is now seen
that the gold standard as a financial
panacea is a deplorable failure.
What else did Mr. Bryan stand for?
The election of United States. SEN
ators by direct vote of the people.
That is now the law of the land.
Woman suffrage. Marvellous as it
may seem that has also been enacted
into law.
Prohibition. more marvellous still,
forms a part of the federal constitu-
ton
Anti-Imperialism or world democ-
racy.
1t is well to remember that Mr..
Bryan set the pace for world peace
which has since taken shape in the
Versailles League of Nations and the
Washington Association of Nations
sometimes called the Disarmament
Conference.
When secretary of state Mr. Bryan
secured the signatures of the diplo-
mats of thirty nations to sign peace
treaties embodying the fundamental
essence contained in the Versailles
and Washington treaties.
He was not only called illogical, Wis
ionary and unsound, but was made the
target of much strained wit and un-
merited and undignifed jibes.
His name was associated with those
of Debs. Ponzi, and others of un-
savory repute; he was described as
possessing a noisy and disturbing
tongue and brazen cheek.
Great and unwarranted familiarity
was taken with his name. He was !
called Grape Juice Bill" and other
equally undignifed and
belittling.
In reading some of the diatribes of |
our contemporaries we felt that we
could hardly do otherwise than hang
our head in very shame
But we were reminded that the
Father of his Country" in reading
what the critics of his day said of him
made him sick at heart and caused
him to say that if he had been an
ordinary gambler or pick pocket he
could not have been more coarsely
or severely censured.
So history is but repeating itself
Minnows do not hesitate to nibble
and bite at whales.
We call to mind the lines of Byron:
He who ascends to mountain-tops
shall find
The Hottest peaks most wrapped in