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VOL. 11 NO 31
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LINCOLN NEB.. SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 1890
mmxs i thb poit omca at Liaceui
AM BBC02TD-CX.AM M ATTBE
PUBLISHED EVERT 8ATURDAY
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W. MORTON SMITH Editor and Manager
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I OBSERVATIONS I
Mr. Bryan's trip from Lincoln to Chi
cago, or all the way to New York, for
that matter, was all that our noisily
inclined townsman could hare desired.
If he expected the people to flock to
the railway stations to greet him; if he
expected the blare and din of the brass
band; if he expected anxious mothers to
bring forth their babies on his arrival,
as they do when there is a circus in
town; if he expected noise and tumult,
attention and applause, be was not dis
appointed. Presidential candidates are sufficient
ly rare to be objects of curiosity and
consideration. The people, regardless
of politics, like to see the man who
has been named by a great party for the
high office of president. The people of
Iowa and Illinois, particularly, hare not
Been a great many presidential nomi
nees. And never have they seen a can
didate for president who was as easy
we will not say anxious to be seen as
our townsman, who has sought to be a
monopolist in the matter of nomina
tions. Mr. Bryan met the people more
than halt way. He has never- been a
candidate for president before, and he
doubtless realizes that ho will never be
a candidate again. Therefore he is dis
posed to make the most of his oppor
tunity, and we do not blame him. The
great "Judge" Cooley of Omaha, some
years ago appeared as "rlamlet.'" He
only appeared once, but we will leae it
to any one who was prr-sent if that one
appearance was not the most, original,
picturesque, striking performance he
ever saw. Mr. Bryan, with his presi
dential nomination, is a good deal like
Judge Cooley with his "Hamlet.' The
opportunity to play a star role, with au
diences assurred, 'does not come often,
and we are sure that the person who
would begrudge Mr. Bryan any of the
notoriety or fun he is getting out of his
nomination is very ilj-naturea. The
motto of the famed Clover club sug
gests itself "While we live, we live in
clover; when we die, we die all over.'"
While Mr. Bryan is tunning he is run
ning all over; when he is done he will
be done all over.
Up to his arrival in New York, Mr.
Bryan's talks they can hardly be
called speeches were characterized by
the same qualities that marked his ut
terances on the memorable trip from
Salem to Lincoln. Will anyone who has
read these remarks contend that this
enthusiastic young man, who has glibly
referred to the president of the United
States as a mere "hired man." and who
at station after station iterated and re
iterated dreary platitudes and voiced
cheap sentiment, and made repeated
demagogic appeals, evidenced any
statesmanship? As we read these com
monplace utterances are .ve convinced
that the speaker is a man big enough
and broad enough and experienced
enough to be the president of this na
tion, the chief ruler of 70,000,000 of peo
ple, in a time ?hen those in authority
are called upon to deal with the most
momentods problems that ever faced
the human race? Has this gallurous
young man, who is so fond of inviting a
comparison between himself and Abra
ham Lincoln, succeeded in establishing
a claim to equality with Lincoln? We
cannot see that there is any more re
semblance between Lincoln and Bryan
than there is between a granite hitch
ing post and a sulphur-crested cockatoo.
Abraham Lincoln, from the very earl
iest point in his career, was closely iden
tified with the true interests of the
real common people, tie proved that he
was not a demagogue by doing some
thing besides talk. His services to
mankind are bis monument, not his
pretty speeches. Lincoln was constant
ly exerting himself in behalf of the op
pressed. He was permanently active in
his cervices to those who bad need of
aid. He may have talked, but he per
formed, and he performed better than
he talked. A study of Lincoln's early
career teaches us that he was ever
a ready and effective champion of the
wronged.
A study of Mr. Bryan's career, from
the time he won his Hrst prize at an
oratorical contest down to the incident
of the Chicago convention, where he
won his last prize at an oratorical con
test, will show that this glib young man
has never done anything but appear in
oratorical contests. He is thirty-fix
years of age, and for more than sixteen
years he has been wholly engaged in
accumulating a stock of oratorical
crowns. And he has been successful
in thin. While the people whose Buf
ferings have been his theme have been
bearing their crosses, he has been piling
up his crowns, and there is no record of
a single instance where this talking man
has given to the people anything stve
talk. A study of Mr. Bryan's career
forces us to the opinion that his interest
in the sufferings of the people begins
and ends in the use he makes of their
sufferings to stir the emotions of im
pressionable people in bis life-work of
winning prizes in oratory.
There are those who will think we are
too severe; that we are not doing Mr.
Bryan justice. To those we will say
just consider Mr. Bryan's record a mo
ment, and see if any different conclusion
can be reach d. Mr. Bryan, only a
little more than nix years ago, was a
candidate for the appointment as secre
tary of the state board of transportation
in this state. At that time, while he
was talking glibly enough of the hard
ships of the people, he was a member of
a firm in the employ of a great railway
corporation, and in his attempt to se
cure this appointment he did not hesi
tate to ask for the assistance and
influence of the officers of another great
railway company, the principal railway
corporation in this state. At that time,
and for a year or so previous, Mr. Bryan
did not hesitate to accept favors from
the railway companies, those great
"enemies of the people." Mr. Bryan,
not long after, went into congress, where
he made two speeches, one on the tariff
and one on silver, and secured an appro
priation for a passenger elevator in the
government building in this city.
All this time Mr. Bryan was singing
the same old song of his great love for
the people. Did he ever identify him
self with any movement to lessen the
hardships of the people? Did he ever,
in or out of congress, try to prevent the
railway companies from making dis
criminations in rates? Did he ever
seek to shorten the hours of labor?
Was he the author of any bill or the
leader of. or even a worker, in any move
ment to sf cure a gieater degree of com
fort or independence for the working
man? Did he ever seek to promote
arbitration? Did he ever mne any
effort to legulate and restrict the power
of great monopolies like the Standard
Oil company, that oppresses labor and
works a hardship on the whole people?
Did he ever make any attempt to lessen
the power or evil of the great corpora
tions and monopolies? Did he, in
short, ever contribute anything but idle
talk to the cause of the common people
of labor? Will any one contend that
his acts, in any way, correspond with
his expressions?
We cannot see how any laboring man
can regard Mr. Bryan rb his friend. He
not only has not done anything for the
amelioration of the condition of the
working classes, but he is at the presi nt
momect engaged in a movement which,
if successful, would cut in two the
wages of labor. We can see how. Mr.
Bryan might be popular in certain sec
tions of the south, where the ruling
classes refuse the negro the right of
franchise; but we cannot see how the
people, generally, can approve of or vote
for this candidate who voted against the
measure in congress designed to protect
the negro, the "common people" of the
6outb, in the rights which the Constitu
tion guarantees; who, by standing on
the Chicago platform, declares that this
government shall not be permitted to
put down rebellion and anarchy; who
advocates a policy that would reduce,
by one-balf, the wages of every working
man and we are all workingmen.
The Editor.
Willis Longlocks, the poet, has
twins.
Wallace Too bad! Some babies cever
have any luck.
"Of course you have a girl to do the
heavy work?"
"Yes; but she never gets here soon
enough in the morning to carry John
upstairs."
IN DANGER OP DEATH.
"I never thought I would die with
my boots on."
The young woman bad a look of utter
anguish in her face as she said these
words.
She cast her eyes to the ground as
she continued her melancholy reflec
tions "But these are fully two sizes too
small for me. and if I don't get them off
soon they will surely kill me."
"I wonder why she screamed when I
kigsed her.
"Force of habit, I suppose."
He Your father objects to
going to the theatre, does he not?
The Minister's Daughter Yes
he's not at home this week.
your
but
Kate You say now that I am an
angei.
Charlie I do! You are!
Kate Then take care that I don't
use my wings after we are married.
