The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1925-08-14

without credit not permtted.) h
1t was plain everyone, when Bryan came to Dayton
that his great days behind hthat he was now DELI
nitey an old man. and headed last for silence there was
vague unpleasant mangness about his appearance ne
somehow seemed dirty though close glance showed MN
carefully shaved and clad in Immaculate linen All the ha
was gone from the dome of his head and had begun to fall
out too behind his ears like that of the late Samuel omPes
The old had departed from his voice. what was
once bugIe blast had become reedy and quavenng Who
knows that like Demoshenes he had lisp? In his PRIME
under the magic of his eoquence noticed it. But when
he spoke at Dayton it always audible
When first encountered him. the sidewalk IN front
of the Hicks brothers law Office the trial yet to begin and
SO he was still expansive and amabe had printed in the
Nation week before article arguing that the anti
evolution law whatever its unsdom was at least constu
ona-hat policing school teachers certainly not putting
down free peech The old boy professed be delighted with
the argument and gave the gaping byanders to understand
that was a talented pubcs In admired the curious
shirt that he vvore-seeveess and with neck cut very low
We parted in the manner of Spanish ambassadors
But that was the last touch of aably that was destn-
ed Bryan The next day the battle joined and his
face became hard By the end of the first week he SIMPLY
walking magnancy. Hour by hour he grew more bitter
What the Christian Scientists call malicious animal magnetism
seemed to radate from him like heat from stove From
place in the courtroom standing upon table, looked directly
down upon him. sweating horribly and pumping his Paleat
fan. His eyes fascinated watched them all day long
They blazing points of hatred They gtered like oc-
cult and sinister gems Now and then they wandered
and got my share. twas like coming under fire.
What behind that consuming hatred? AT hrSt
thought that evangelical passion. Evangelical
Christianity as everyone knows founded upon hate the
Christianity of Christ founded upon love- But even
evangelical Christians occasionally loose their belts and becE
amcabIy; have known who, off duty, very be-
ngnant In that very indeed OF them
for example, old Ben Mckenzie of the Dayton bar
who sat beside Bryan Ben full of good humor He made
Jokes with Darrow But Bryan only glared.
One day it davned that Bryan after all,
evangelical Christian only by of afterthoughhat his
in this world and the goes thereof had actually
to an end ne
this concluson that what really moved him
lust for revenge The of the cities had destroyed hin
and made mock of him now he would lead the yokel
against them Various facts clicked into the theory and
hold still The hatred in the old man burning eyes
for the enemies of God; for the enemies of Bryan
Thus he fought his last fight, eager for blood 1t quckl
became enzed and peposterou and after that pathetic
departed from him. He bit right and lett like do
with rabies He descended demagogy dreadful that hi
very associates bushed His yearning was keep hi
yokes heated up-o lead his orlorn mob against the foe
That foe, alas refused to be alarmed insisted upon seen
the battle comedy Even Darrow who knew better,
casionay yielded to the prevailing spirit Finally he lure
poor Bryan into folly almost Incredible
allude to his astonishing argument against the MOTTO
that mammal glad to hear it. for otherwise L
believe it. There stood the who had been thrc
candidate for the Presidency of the Republic once
believe, elecedhere he stood in the glare of the world
tering stuff that boy of eight would laugh att The ar
barrow led him he repeated it, ranted for beloved it
his cracked voice. tragedy indeed He came into life
hero, Gaahad in bright and shining Now he we
passing pathetic fool
Ill
Worse, believe that he somehow sensed the fact-th
he realized his personal failure whatever the success of Il
grotesque he spoke for had left DAYTON before Da
rows crossexamnaton brought him his final absurdit
but heard his long speech against the admission eSpe
testimony and how it fell fiat and how Bryan hmse
conscious of the fact When he down he was do
Tor and he knew it The old magic had failed work. the
w It DudisSSTff were no exultant shouts When hi
tbe very vokes gave him FIVE 6Yered his terrific phil