The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-04-04
BRYAN STILL ON DECK.
There Is a Large and Potent Element
of the Democracy Sticking
to Him,

Mr.. Bryan's recent visit to Washing
ton has set a great many persons guess
ing. Perhaps the most philosophical
consideration of the matter, taking
into view Mr.. Bryan's relations to the
active forces of his party, is that made
by the Washington Star. 1t notes two
suggestive things in connection with
the visit of the late candidate. One of
them was that of his reception on the
senate side of the capitol was less
cordial than on the house side, and
the other that the younger men of the
party are the ones who seek him out.
The Star adds that Mr.. Bryan was never
favorite with the democratic mem
bers of the senate. His prominence
upset too many senatorial hopes and
interfered with the old system which
lodged the control of the party in the
hands of a comparatively few veterans.
The Star adds:
"Mr. Bryan has from the outset been the
choice of the younger men of the party.
i They "whooped 1t up for him at Chicago
at the time of his first nomination. A
young man himself. handsome, confident
and eloquent, he appealed to them strongly
1t tickled them greatly to see him elbow
his way to the front and displace veterans
like Bland and Boes and Blackburn, and
, when he did so they seized the standards
in the convention hall and formed that
marching procession of bowling enthusiasts
| whose demonstration made the nomination.
| And the young men of the party are still
| very proud of their young leader. They
| cling to him even in defeat, and neglect no
| opportunity to testify to their admiration
| and devotion.
| I'VE see then, in this the difficulty under
| which the democratic party at present
labors. The older members are anti-Bryan.
| They have supported him twice, but they
| see his shortcomings as leader and are
not patient under a proposition to try him
again. Time is. a great element in their
calculations If they are to witness the re-
| turn of their party to power it must be
| soon. The younger men are not disturbed
| by this consideration. They, too, want 10
| VIM but when Mr.. Eryan says that the
party can afford to wait for success and
must meanwhile stick to principles they
| harken to man of grit and character.
| Still, If success Is to he achieved the older
men and the younger men must get to-
gether, and under Mr.. Bryan or somebody
! else work like the nation with but one end
in view. A party divided against itse.
| cannot win
Mr.. Bryan himself probably knows
the situation as well as anyone, says
the Troy Times. He understands that
his strength is with the young, the
emotional and the ardent but largely
undisciplined element of his party
the element which is not discouraged
by defeat, because that serves to give
him romantic and sympathetic inter-
est in such eyes. 1t is harder to bring
this element into the traces of stern
party rule-the rule which recognizes
the fact that to- succeed there must
be concession. sacrifice of personal
preferences and unison in essentials
in order to win success-than any other
with which political management has
to deal.
That element of the democratic par
ty-a large and potent one-is still
solidly with Mr.. Bryan, if appearances
go for anything. And he also has his
grasp on the party machinery. If the
older democratic heads in the country
at large and the grave and reverend
seniors of that party in the senate
think Mr.. Bryan has passed so com.
pletely that he is no longer to be reck-
oned with in computing chances they
are making what appears to be a gi.
gantic mistake.