Tuesday, June 9, 2009

U.S. Secretary of State Resigns

William Jennings Bryan94 years ago today, William Jennings Bryan, United States Secretary of State, resigned due to opposition against the President's fierce tone against Imperial Germany.

2 comments:

Mercurius Aulicus said...

Have you ever read Vachel Lindsay's poem "Bryan, Bryan, Bryan, Bryan" on the defeat of William Jennings Bryan's populist campaign for president in 1896? (http://www.geocities.com/vachellindsaybryan/)

To quote a small part:

Election night at midnight:
Boy Bryan's defeat.
Defeat of western silver.
Defeat of the wheat.
Victory of letterfiles
And plutocrats in miles
With dollar signs upon their coats,
Diamond watchchains on their vests
And spats on their feet.
Victory of custodians,
Plymouth Rock,
And all that inbred landlord stock.
Victory of the neat.
Defeat of the aspen groves of Colorado valleys,
The blue bells of the Rockies,
And blue bonnets of old Texas,
By the Pittsburgh alleys.
Defeat of the alfalfa and the Mariposa lily.
Defeat of the Pacific and the long Mississippi.
Defeat of the young by the old and silly.
Defeat of tornadoes by the poison vats supreme.
Defeat of my boyhood, defeat of my dream.

J.K. Baltzersen said...

Sir,

Thank you for drawing my attention to this poem.