And now…

…it's time to retire Sunday with Speaker Sam. There just aren't any more quotations jumping off the pages of my volume of Sam Rayburn's wisdom, so I'll leave you with the seventy-some that are in the archives. Never fear, though, I've found a dandy replacement.

Among my collection of volumes by and about notable Democrats is "The Real Bryan," selections from the speeches of the Prairie Populist, William Jennings Bryan. It was published in 1908, but with a new generation of Democrats seeking, if sometimes imperfectly adopting, the mantle of populism, many of Bryan's views and concerns have new currency.

I haven't worked out a snappy title or graphic design for the new feature, but let's kick it off with these words…

"The paramount issue, therefore, is the protection of all the people who desire equal rights from the few who demand special privileges, and this issue is presented in every question which is before the public or is likely to come before the public."

William Jennings Bryan,
Democrat

Yep, still true today...