Life — August 16, 1906 — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“While there is Life there's Hope.” VOL. XLVI. AUGUST 16, 1906. No. 1242 17 West Turmry-First Street, New York. ILL BRYAN is com- ing home soon to make a visit, and some of the neighbors have arranged to welcome him at the pier with a ‘ass band and him a din- ner and hear what he has to say about foreign parts and home policies. ‘That is all suitable enough, but the plan has grown in the hands of its nurses until it has attained the di- mensions of a move- ment. It is to bea political movement, a gathering of the Democracy to show that it is not dead around Bill Bryan to prove that he is not dead. Somehow, it seems funny. Of course, Bill is not dead. He is in that condition of physical, mental and political health which the boys describe as “head and tail up like a ram tied to a gate.” Most of us might well be glad to be half as healthy as he. He is in grand enjoyment of life, and has attained to a degree of renown that makes the whole civilized world seem to him like his own private boarding-house. Wherever he has been, in Asia and in Europe, he has found an empty peg on the hat-rack and a scat at table waiting for him. As a matter of fact, he has usuallysent word ahead when he might be expected, and intimated that he would hang up his hat and stay to dinner, for Bill is not a self-effacing citi- zen. But his notices have been respected in every case we have heard of. No representative of our government in any place where he has been has ventured to neglect to pay him every attention he suggested as proper to an American citi- zen of the first distinction. He has been taken at his own valuation, there are some amu foreign progress, it cannot be disputed LSE * that as a traveler, traveling upon his record, he has made good. Was ever a man so prospered in defeat! He took up with a bad cause, supported it with vigor, was twice beaten for the Presidency, to the relief of the country, and still remains the most conspicuous figure in the Democratic party. He has been the great M ler of the Demo- crats, the man whose mistakes did the Democratic party more damage than it has sustained from any living man. And yet being a man of great vigor, of decent personal character and possessed of a remarkable gift of oral discourse, he still remains the most influential Democrat alive. ’ the drums beat and the trumpets blare in honor of Bill Bryan's re- turn, and all the people who can get seats, let them sit down with him and hear his discourse when he holds forth. He is a smart man and not a bad fellow, and, somehow, seems able to make up in main strength for what he lacks in wis- dom. A good pair of bellows in his chest seems almost as useful a property to a political leader as a discriminating intel- lect. Bryan has the bellows, and he has more than that. He has fortitude and assurance. He is a man of great power, vocal, muscular and digestive. Mentally he seems only fair. He exerts himself to be conscientious. If he had a conviction he would stick to it likewax as longas he could remember which it was, and the fact that it was mistaken would endear it to him. He is such a man that those who believe in him rejoice in him, and those who don’t believe in him wish they could. HE trouble with him as a Presidential candidate is that this group of don’t- believes is so large. They don’t dislike him and they do admire him, but trust him in the White House they never will, if they can help it. ‘They consider that his talent is histrionic rather than political. We guess they would beat him again if he should run again, and if they did, it might injure his prestige. Which would be a pity, it is such a pretty one as it stands, and cost so much to make. It is an eco- nomical calamity when a great prestige collapses. It means an enormous waste of expensive advertising. We don’t want to sce Bill Bryan go the way of Martin Irons. As he stands, he is a national asset, and capable of u: ‘The man he nominated at St. Louis at the last Democratic Convention was the most engaging candidate suggested. If his taste in candidates continues to be as good as it was when he put up Cockrell, he may yet do the country very valuable service sometime by helping the Demo- crats to nominate and perhaps elect a candidate who is fit to win. We doubt profoundly, however, if he will avail to render the country that service so soon as 1908; and doubt still more if he can himself be a successful candidate in that year. And that he should loom up so very big just now is odd. There is no doubt that he came out of the last Democratic convention bigger than he went in, and since then he has been a successful traveler. Maybe ab- sence does make the heart grow fonder, but can it queer the head? R. WILLIAM HEARST seems dis- posed to run for governor of New York. Why New York? Why put up this particular job on the old and respectable State of New York? If Mr. Hearst was at all solicitous to oblige he would go home to California and run for governor there. Or else in Illinois or Massachusetts, where he has. newspapers. New York has already shown sufficient appreciation of his char- acter and qualities by letting him repre- sent Tammany Hall in Congress, and by letting him run for mayor of New York City. That is all Mr. Hearst should ex- pect of this State, If he must run for governor,he ought to run elsewhere. Why not start a paper in Pittsburg and run for governor of Pennsylvania? Pennsylva- nia is a fine State and hardy, and so far has done very little for Mr, Hearst except to supply topics for his papers. Pennsyl- yania would do. Or Rhode Island! But not Delaware. Oh, no! Leave Dela- ware in peace to clean up. comicbooks.com