The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-06-15

The newspapers throughout the
country have been giving very con
siderable amount of attention during
the last few days to the position of
Mr.. German upon national issues.
This attention, moreover has not
been of a purely theoretical kind, but
has been distinctly marked by the
special SAVIOR that attaches to the dis
cussion of Presidential possibilities.
Indeed it is not too much to say that
the ear marks of boom in its in
cipient stages have been plainly visi-
bic in not few of the comments
which have been made upon Mr.. Cor
mans recent interview. In other
quarters, Mr.. German has been
warned that Bryan is the only posi-
BILE candidate and it has been implied
more or less distinctly that the only
thing that stands in his way is this
fact. There is thus perceptible Il
tendency to create situation i'll
which it shall be supposed that Cor
man is the one man to whom the
Democratic party must turn if it
decides not to stick to Bryan. 1t be
comes therefore, Il matter of interest
to discuss the question: Is the Dem
Ocratic party tied down to this alter
native-is there no way out of Bryan
except through German And if so,
what are the prospects OF the cam
paign of 1900:
Well, it is perfectly plain to our
mind that neither Mr.. Bryan nor Mr..
German has any chance of doing more
than leading Il forlorn hope. The
difference between the two cases
would be that Mr. Bryan would lead
an enthusiastic host, sadly dimished,
no doubt, through the terrible wear
and tear which silyerism has under
gone since 1896, but still devoted to
their leader and their cause; while
Mr.. German would lead a party with
not one whit better chance of success,
but without devotion to their leader,
because he himself cannot. in the ma
ture of things, represent devotion to
any cause. Mr.. German is politi-
clan of exceptional ability in manage
ment; but he is so distinctly the Oppo-
site of the kind Of man the masses of
honest, conscientious plain people can
respect and wish to see III the Presi-
Dental chair, that his canvass would
be the most dismal simulacrum of a
genuine fight which the American
people have ever gone through. If
the Democratic party wants to com
plete the wreck of its reputation, let
it put up for the chief magistracY of
the Republic man whose name is a
synonym for the most devious arts of
the practical politician a man be-
longing to a type which has never yet
thrust itself into the Presidential
chair, man whose candidacy would
at once chill the fervor of all those
Democrats who, in any community,
are looked up to as representing its
best purpose and its best character.
1t may be asked, what else is open
to the Democratic party? The an
swer is perhaps not easy but it is of "a
simpler character than might be sup
posed. If the silver issue is to be kept
to the front, Bryan must be nomi-
mated; if it is to be dropped, or even
relegated to the rear, Bryan must
step down along with it. For the
nomination of Bryan would necessar-
lily carry with it practically all the
burden which the most pronounced
championship of free silver would
entail No halfway measures will
serve; if the party wishes to relieve
itself of the silver incubus, it must
frankly recognize that the issue is as
dead as secession, and turn its face to