Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 August 1908 — WILLIAM J. BRYAN [ARTICLE]

WILLIAM J. BRYAN

And Party Passed Through Rensselaer BN 2:04 P. M. TRAIN MONDAY, On Way to Kern Notification Meet* ing—Large Crowd Gathered at Depot to Greet the Great Commoner. William J. Bryan, democratic nominee for the preaidency, passed through Rensselaer Monday afternoon on the regular 2:04 train over the Monon on his way to Indianapolis to attend the Kern notification meeting yesterday at which he delivered the principal address. Word that the distinguished gentleman would pass tnrough here on this train was received Sunday morning through the railroad officials and it was Intimated by them that the train would be held here five or ten minutes while he delivered a short talk. The news was spread over the surrounding country and when the train pulled in Monday afternoon there were probably 500 to 1,000 people at the station to get a glimpse of Mr. Bryan and hoping that he would speak for a few moments. In the first they were successful, as he came to the rear platform of the car with several members of his party and shook hands with a large number during the regular short stop the train makes here. This is a limited train, however and runs on a fast schedule, and it could not be held here for Mr. Bryan to speak to the multitude assembled, which was no doubt a disappointment to many who had come quite a distance from the country in the hope that he would speak a few moments. However, * all got a .chance to see Mr. Bryan and many grasped his hand, so the trip to town was not in vain.

The great commoner is looking exceedingly well and though it was the third time he has passed through our city—speaking here a short time on the two former occasions, the first eight years ago when he spoke from an Impoverished platform near the stock yards and the second four years ago when he spoke from a platform on the east side of the court house, besides twice speaking at Fountain Park — everyone seemed just as anxious to see him as though it was for the first time and crowded about to shake his hand. \ No man who has been before the public so long as Mr. Bryan has held the confidence and esteem of the people so mucn as he, nor has been' idolized more or made fewer mistakes in his public utterances. That he is honest, sincere and a man of irreproachable character and high ideals, his worst political enemies admit, and if elected next November to the highest office in the gift of the American people—which we confidently believe he will be — no better president will have ever guided the Ship of State than he, will be the verdict of the people, is our sincere belief.

E. P. Honan and F. E. Babcock j went up to Cedar Lake Monday forenoon and came back on the 2:04 train with the Bryan party. National Chairman Mack and a whole lot of prominent democrats composed the Bryan party. One of these was Dr. Hall, a former resident of near Monon and a schoolmate of W. J. Imes of this city. His first wife was a daughter of William Barkley, an old-time resident of Barkley tp., this county. He is now living in Lincoln, Neb., and is president of the leading bank of that city, and 1b the national committeeman from Nebraska. Dr. Hall was anxious to get a look at Mr. Imes whom he had not seen for many years, and the latter was pointed out in the crowd to him by Mr. Honan, although in the short stop made here they did not get to exchange greetings. Other members of the party were John J. Martin qf Indiana, sergeant-at-arms of, the late national convention: Theo. A. Bell, member of the notification committee from California; Josepheus Daniels of No. Carolina; Chas. W. Bryan of Nebraska, brother of W. J. Bryan; Urey Woodson, secretary of the national committee; R. F. Rose, Mr. Bryans secretary; R- M. Johnson, national committeeman from Texas; F. W. Brown, mayor of Lincoln; Roger Sullivan, member of the national committee from Illinois, J. W. Tomlinson, member of the national committee from Alabama; Robert Ewing, member of the national committee from Louisiana; J. T. Lloyd, of Missouri, chairman of the Democratic congressional campaign committee; Myron D. King, chairman of the local notification committee and several newspaper correspondents. Mr. Bryan talked, freely with Messrs. Honan and Babcock and regretted that he could n6t speak a

few moments here. But this was a limited train and would not be held, besides it was not his intention to deliver any rear platform speeches this campaign; all would be set speeches and delivered in the larger cities; many requests had been made from towns along the line for short talks but all had to be turned down. He thought the outlook for democratic success was excellent and if the democrats did their duty in thoroughly organizing and seeing that every democratic voter got to the polls the result could have but one ending.