Larry--
I like the idea and the Cowardly Lion does look a bit like William
Jennings Bryan, but I don't buy it.
Having read MANY of the Oz books when my daughter was little, I can
and do testify that Frank Baum was a man of childike (I would say) and
wildly creative imagination--flying sofas, princesses that turn into
princes, etc. I find it absolutely impossible to believe that there
were political connections to these things--he doesn't strike me as a
political person.
Also, how would trying to get home to Kansas fit into the "crown of
gold" scenario??
Marilyn Harper