The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-05-29
MOONS PHASES,
BRYAN AND CLEVELAND,

BRYAN AND CLEVELAND.
There are two people i'll this COM
try Just now who are causing tie
Democratic party at large consider
able concern. When we say Demo.
cratic party we allude to those who
stand by their convictions either in
success or defeat as they believe that
the principles represented by this
political organization are calculated
to bring about the greatest good for
the greatest number. These two in
dividuals have both rendered the
party signal service i'll their time,
and, i'll return, have received rccog-
milton by being chosen as the head of
the national ticket On different occa-
sions. One is Grover Cleveland,
thrice nominated and twice elected
President Of the United States, and
the other is William Jennings Bryan,
twice nominated and twice defeated.
According to Democratic principles
each of these men have had about
their full share of public recognition,
and the rank and file of our party
feel that it is we'll nigh time that
they give way to Others equally
capable of the task of leading our
party to victory.
Unfortunately these two M. ~cpre-
sent extreme wings, which at the pres
ent time seem to be unrecorcilable.
Each has shown a decided tipathy
for the other, and without conbi-
nation of forces that they represent,
Democratic success is indeed arrmote
possibility. With this condition of
affairs staring them in the lace it
seems to many OF us that the most
graceful thing that they can do,
would be to temporarily retire from
the position of seeming dictation as
to the policies and platform for the
campaign of 1904 and let the people
themselves make both the man and
the issue.
Mr.. Cleveland, since his retirement
from the Presidential chair, has lived
a quiet life, seldom emerging from
his chosen place of retircment,c except
on some stated occasions that seemed
to demand his presence. SO long rs
he remained in this position the party
had great respect for his utterances
and his advice carried great weight
in convictions ofthe public mind. His
repeated assurances that he would
not consider the proposition of Il
third term made many Democrats
rest easy feeling that great respect
should be shown to the only living
ex-President. In thep asst six months,
however, some Of his utterances have
given rise to feeling that he may
after all entertain the idea of re-en-
tering public life. Should he benomi-
mated and elected, it is hard to say
what could be his possible reward.
Twice honored with the chief masis-
tracy of our Nation, lie would be
violating the unwrittcn law as
laid down by the founder of this
Republic Not many feel that his
choice by the Democratic Con yention
could possibly come about, but the
agitation coincident with an effort
to obtain the same will only serve to
widen the unfortunate breach that
has grown up in the past eight or
ten years.
On the other hand, comes Mr..
Bryan, who seems to hayeno hesita-
ton whatever in debating exactly
what the Democratic party shall do.
Twice the National Conventions have
recognized him in a manner that falls
to the lot of very few individuals.
In both of his campaigns his defeats
have been disastrous. This would
indicate that the voters at large are
not in sympathy with his govern
mental ideas. Modcsty should die
tate that the time has now arrived
when the party would prefer a new
Moses who could more successfully
lead it out of the wilderness OF Re
publicanism. While Mr.. Bryan I'M
equivocally states that he is not
possibility, yet he has no hesitation
in supplementing this statement wish
his views as to who the party should
elevate to leadership. The Demo-
Gratis feel that the time is ripe for a
change of tactics in the manner Of
conducting neutrality-suspicious.. tits
apparent that with a suitable candi-
date and platform, the United States
is safely Democratic. The problem
that confronts them is how to prac-
tically solve this difficulty. One man
dictation was unfortunate both
in 1896 and 1900. The choice and
the issue of 1904, every one feels
should emanate from the convention