In 1896 William
Jennings Bryan
declared we would not crucify mankind on a cross of gold, whateverthehell that actually meant. Then he went on a victory* tour and by 1899 was commanding
huge fees. Interesting that his terms were somewhat illiberal, though not surprising to those who have made a study of the
hypocrisy of the sanctimonious left.
Never mind that U.S. currency was gold-backed in those days.
Kum Ba Yah.
* He was celebrating only his personal celebrityhood, a wiser population in those days denying anything more to the demagogic rabble rousers.
How happy would WJB be to find that his Populist loinfruit have taken over both the Dems and the GOP?
ReplyDeleteH.L. Mencken must be laughing his arse off...
:)
ReplyDeleteYou move me to look forward to a stormy night that I can devote to compiling a list of Mencken's comments on the Great Populist. One I recall offhand refers to Jenning's eyes as "two intense points of hatred."
I don't know how deeply this should shame me, but the Bryan clan and mine share blood. It happened in about the 16th Century, along the shores of Lough Ree, so I suppose I can live with it..
Besides, it ties me, through Rebecca, to Daniel Boone, whom I routinely plagiarize when my wildneress pathfinding skills are questioned: "I ain't never been lost. I war sometimes befuddled for a few weeks, tho."