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Show It is sad to note thi passing of K a great man's days of usefulness -and it is with "feeling akin to sorrow sor-row that the descent is witnessed to a once-political, idol into a ' demogogue. But in the'push and bustle and ambitious jostle of American politics such an event is very often chronicled. Now it is Wra. J. Bryan who lifts fallen from the pedestal of popular adulation. The other day in Chicago he addressed the labor union and took for his text "The suffering inflicted on the American Ameri-can soldier during the war with Spain," and recited the incompetency incompe-tency in the War Department but so interwove his recit;;l with selfish sel-fish thoughts that it would tend to his own benefit politically. As an American citizen Mr. Brvan has every right to protest against the horrors of camp life resulting, if he will, fromj Secretary Alger's incompetency, but when he makes the soldiers' cause a stepping stone to his own pggrandizement he places himself in the ranks of political shysters worse if anything any-thing than the incompetent officers of the War Department. He shows in that move some of the quality which caused John G Carlisle to betray the silver cause for office and power. We do not wish t be understood as discussing dis-cussing the silver question. We simply wish to note the passing of an aspirant to leadership. Some months ago Arthur McEwan, who was a strong supporter of Bryan in the Presidential campaign in an article widely published, characterized Bryan as shallow and a man against whom close association would breed contempt. One by one other orominent supporters have fallen away from Bryan, although their loyalty to the silver cause cannot be questioned, and his strenuous efforts to keep "before the public shows that he begins to realize his waning popularity. Forensic ability has ceased to 'be the only qualification for office and the people today are looking for men of deep thought, honesty of purpose and practical methods. Such men, say in the silver ranks, as Stewart or Ncwlands of Nev., Dubois of Idaho, Teller of Colorado and Bland of Missouri. |