The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-07-15

orator. perhaps the greatest that ever
, lived. Roosevelt would have about as
much chance with him in an oratorical
smuggling match as Terence McGovern
would have had with John Lawrence
Sullivan when "Sully' was in his
prime.
/ have not seen Bryan since April,
| and am no more authorized to speak
| for him than is any other Democrat in
good standing but if The CD. is really
laundering for joint debate in which
Bryan shall figure l can suggest one
which will add to the gayety of ma
tons. Let William Mckinley and Will
liam J. Bryan have one joint discussion
in each of the 40 states of the Union!
am absolutely certain that Bryan will
accept Can The CD. bring William
of Canton to the scratch? l trow not,
and why not? Because The CD. knows
| full we'll that Mckinley can't hold a
candle to Bryan in a full and COM
prehensive discussion of the issues
now before the American people.
feel so certain that Bryan and
Democrats generally would favor
a discussion between the presi
dental candidates that, while
am not authorized to speak for the
Democratic national committee, and
while that committee is not burdened
with funds, feel perfectly safe in say
| ing that rather than not have these 40
debates between Bryan and Mckinley
the Democrats will defray the entire
| expense of the performance. If we
can't get the necessary money any
other way, we will raise it by popular
Democratic subscription. The poorest
Democrat in the land would be willing
to contribute his mite in order to see
the peerless Nebraskan thump the
present occupant of the White House.
| This Bryan-McKinley oratorical
scrapping match would attract more
attention than any debate that ever
took place on earth, and The CD. will
miss the greatest opportunity Of it's
career if it fails to join me in the eff
fort to pull it off.
The Open Door In China.
/ A recent declaration by high Re-
publican official at Washington recalls
|
puts into the mouth of Truthful James:
Do | sleep9 Do dream?
Do wonder and doubtp
| Are things what they seem, =
| Or visions about?
Is our civilization failure,
| Or is the Caucasian played out?
The aforesaid declaration of the high
Republican official is, in words and
figures, as follows-to wit:
'"rhe so called guarantees relative to
the open door in China are not worth
me paper they are written on"
Jupiter olympus. What are we COM
ing to? For many moons we have
been told, with frequent and monot-
onous iteration, that the achievement
of the "open door" was of itself alone
amply sufficient to secure an immor-
tally of glory for this Republican adj
miniStration. At the annual banquet
of the merchants and manufacturers
of Baltimore last spring l heard my
brilliant and expansive friend, Hon.
Charles Emory Smith postmaster gen.
eral of the United States, laud it to
the skies as the Summum bonum OF
all diplomacy and in rhapsody of
iridescent rhetoric place William Me-
Kinley and Mr.. Secretary of State
John Hay on the pinnacle OF fame for
| having negotiated it. General Smith is
a handsome man, Il prepossessing gen.
tleman, an artist in the use of words,
and he enthused his audience and car
ried it off its feet, or, rather, out of it's
seats on to its feet, as he pictured in
gorgeous colors how we were, one and
all, to be made rich beyond the dreams
of avarice by reason of the open door"
policy. confess that | was SO wrought
upon by his flights of imagination and
eloquence that began in my mind to
figure out the date when l could quit
practicing law and lecturing and go
to living in clover on my part of the
divvy of the illimitable wealth to come
to us through this much Wanted "open
door," | lived in ecstasy for weeks
afterward. Now comes this cold blood
ed, heartless unimaginative, matter of
fact high Republican official" at
Washington and pulls the underpin-
ming out from under General Smiths
air castles in China as ruthlessly IS
blind Samson pulled down the temple
by pulling down the pillars that held
| it up. | feel a sad sense of personal
bereavement as l see my individual
portion of wealth through the open
door" receding in the dim distance.
And so 1.-The guarantees of the open
door are not worth the paper on
which they are written? Too bad!
One by one the roses fall. "The high
Republican official who ruined Cen
eral Smiths speech and blasted my
hopes ought to be prosecuted for leze
majesty.
The Ticket.
1t is useless to say that Bryan's NOM
nation is a strong and popular one.
Also the platform is strong and popu-
lar. 1t is generally conceded that the
nomination of Adlai e. Stevenson for
! vice president strengthens the ticket
greatly in that section of the country
! 1vEopo moot moods tbnOiDU.