TALKING OF MEN AND THINGS
There was something significant in the
banquet tendered to Mr. Bryan last Mon
day night. Men may differ as to what that
significance is, but none can deny that it
once more refutes the claim that Mr. Bryan
is a "dead one." Mr. Bryan has been buried
his friends, the republicans, times without
number. But his last interment was at the
hands of. his friends of his own party. But
as in the case of republican burial, so in the
case of democratic entombment. :.The
corpse absolutely refuses to remain in the
casket, but throwing aside the cerements
step forth to cast consternation among
those who came to smile while weeping
tears of hypocritical grief.
"God does not require me to be a delegate
to the democratic national convention," ex
claimed Mr. Bryan.' But God does require
me to be a man every day of my life!"
And the response to this sentiment was so
instantaneous, so spontaneous and so
hearty as to leave no doubt that the self
elected party managers are counting with
out their host if they figure on relegating
William Jennings Bryan to the rear in the
councils of the national democracy. Al
though for more than ten years the editor
of Will Maupin's Weekly has been asso
ciated in a humble way with Mr. Bryan in
an editorial capacity, we have not always
agreed. This is due to a chronic inability
of this editor to always agree even with
himself. We had some difference "on the
policy of county option not that we dif
fered upon the rightfulness of that policy
or upon its worth as a moral issue, but that
we differed upon the wisdom of making it
a party shibboleth. But this editor claims
to be too thoroughly imbued with the spirit
of real democracy, not the partisan brand,
but the brand of principle, ever to make the
difference of personal opinion big enough
to obscure the real matters at issue. Men
who profess to be able to read Mr. Bryan
out of the democratic party have yet to
learn the alphabet of democracy. Prin
ciples are eternal, men are transitory.
It is one thing to differ with a man on
matters of policy, and quite another thing
to "read out of the party" men who do not
agree with us on non-essentials. And when
democratic democrats like Champ Glark
and Senator Owen and Senator Kern and
Governor Shaffroth travel hundreds of
miles to pay tribute to the sterling democ
racy and partiotic service of Bryan, it is
to laugh to hear the pismires of politics
"read him out of the democratic party.'"
Old King Canute tackled a mighty easy job
in trying to order the tides about compared
with the job some men have assumed in
relegating Bryan to the rear in democratic
party affairs.
It is a matter of little concern whether
Mr. Bryan is ever again a candidate for the
presidency. It is a matter of vital concern
whether the principles of government for
which he has fought so long and so val
iantly are wrought into the fundamental
laws of this republic. Mr. Bryan's personal
and political fortunes are matters of purely
personal moment to him and to millions
who love him. The triumph of the prin
ciples for which he stands and for which
he fights mean the making, or the marring,
of this republic. What matters it whether
Mr. Bryan is elected to the presidency1:o
guide the' way to those triumph's?" The"
triumps of the principles is as far above the
triumph xi the man as' the stars are above
their reflection in the bosom of the placid
waters.
And because men differed - with Mr.
lryan on petty affairs of local import, we
are asked to relegate to the rear the man
who has blazed the way to those reforms
that are bringing to the people the relief
they so long sought, and in vain ! Upon
what meat are these local Cesar's feeding
that they have grown so great ? Because
Will Maupin's Weekly was not in accord
with Mr. Bryan on a local question, shall
it refuse to follow his leadership in the bat
tle waging for reforms that must come if
this is to remain a free republic? .Sixteen
years ago the editor of Will Maupin's
Weekly severed party ties that were twined
about his very heartstrings and followed
the flag not of Bryan but of reforms ab
solutely necessary. But he refused to fol
low where Bryan led in 1904, exercising
his American perogative of doing as he
pleased politically, and doing it as the re
sult of his own thinking. That was a dif
ference of opinion on policies, not a differ
ence of opinion on principles. The same
was true in the county option fight of last
fal., But is Will Maupin,s Weekly going
to "turn its back upon those reforms merely
because its editor could not agree with Mr.
Bryan on what is purely a moral question?
God forbid!
What did that Bryan banquet Monday
night portend? The answers areas num
erous as the questioners. But upon these
two answers most thoughtful men are
agreed : It portends, as Kern said, that
when democrats gather around the council
table Bryan will be there, and where Bryan
sits will be the head of the table." And it
portends that men who pretend to possess
the ability to "read out of the party" those
who fail to agree with them are themselves
reading vainly from the blank pages of a
book.
Mr. Bryan did not make the principles
which he has voiced so ably, for they have
existed since man first aspired to freedom.
Nor was he the first to voice them. They
have been voiced since the days when the
first aspiration of the human heart found
men with the courage to voice them. But
they found their ablest exponent in him,
for he gathered to himself the experience
and the blood-bought knowledge of the
ages past, and by his matchless eloquence
drew not only the attention of the world to
them, but rallied men everywhere to the
standard. It is not a personal triumph for
Mr. Brayn that the reforms he has advo
cated have been written into law by op
position of men of his own party. It is
merely the triumph of right. And when
the future historian of this republic shall
set about the task of writing of this gen
eration's progress, his pen will write upon
those living pages the name of Bryan in
letters of fire.
When Senator Owen appeared before a
Nebraska audience two years ago he made
enduring his fame in the hearts of Ne
braskans'. But he added to that fame by
Remember April 21st
OPENING
v Base Ball Season
his masterly address Monday night. Little
fear that the people's cause will ever lack
for leadership when men of the Owen stamp
are at hand. His eyes were lighted with
almost holy zeal, and his sledgehammer
arguments for the people's rule seared and
blistered the ears of special privilege.
Oklahoma, young and virile, has given us
an example of popular government. It has
given its inspiration along many lines, but
not the least of all its gifts to this republic
is the splendid young champion of human
rights and human equality. Owen.
Nor was there any evasion about Champ
Clark, sp.eaker to be and democratic demo
crat always. The man who doubted after
hearing him, would not believe the evi
dences of his own eyes nor accept the ver
dict of all the ages. Toastmaster Hall in
timated in introducing Clark that he might
be presenting to the banqueters the next
president of the United States. There are
those of us who may be pardoned for exr
pressing the wish that Toastmaster Hall
was hitting almighty close to the truth.
Governor Saffroth gave renewed evidence
that he is a man of parts. A few years ago -he
was tendered a certificate of election
to congress and refused it because it had
been intimated that there was fraud in his
election. That's the kind of men we need
in public office. Shaffroth was a silver re
publican in 1896. About the only differ
ence between the silver republicans of 1896
and the "republican insurgents" of 1911 is
that the silver republicans "saw it first." ,
Not the least interested listeners; at the
banquet board were Governor Aldrich and
Senator Brown. And as they listened to,
the tributes paid to the republican insur-"
gents, and the praise paid republican lead
ers like LaFollette and Bristow and Bever
idge, they might have pardoned for believ
ing that they had wandered into a non
partisan meeting.
And not the least significant feature of
that gathering was the evidences in plenty
that party ties are siting lightly these days,
and that the old days of the party machine"
are numbered among the things of the dead
past. Party regularity is awfully hard to
maintain among men who persist and in
sist in doing their own thinking. This
habit of thinking is going to wreck every
corrupt political machine that has cursed
municipality, state and nation.
There are those who profess to be sur
prised that Richard L. Metcalfe should have
.had the courage or the temerity to spring
the sensation he sprung at that banquet.
He who was surprised simply does not
know Metcalfe. And the editor of Will
Maupin's Weekly, after being associated
wilh him for upwards of fifteen years,
opines that he knows the man. No demo
crat in the country has given his party
more loyal and devoted service. Nor has
it been given to many men to be of better
service. But Metcalfe refuses to wear the
collar of "regularity" at the price of a be
trayed conscience, and he has the courage
to express his convictions anywhere, at; any
time, beiore any gathering. Make no mis
take about the brand of Metcalfe courage!
Charaeler readers need but to look '- into
these steel-grey eyes and glimpse that
square chin to understand that he is gaz;
ing upon a man who doesn't know what ,
the Vvord'fear". means,. And' .tfiis.. humble
little newspaper is of the firm-conviction