Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1904-01-28
THE HEIGHT OF FOLLY.

IL 10 " ON1OO VI 70 $1,000
leading Democrats that Mr.. w. j.
Bryan should at this time push him
self into the presidential campaign as
an active participant, and undertake
to again assume, al least in a meas
ure, the position of dictator. The
Democratic party must establish a
condition of harmony if it expects to
do anything in the coming fight.
Everybody admits that. 1t is the
only hope. But Mr.. Bryan, al the
ARGUS has said before, evidently
does not want to see harmony estab-
1ished unless the party as an organi-
zation will become subject to his
leadership again. This no sane man
can expect to see. Any casual OBJ
server can foresee the suicidal result
of such a policy. And when MIR.
Bryan goes to talking about reaffirm-
ing the Kansas City platform in its
entirety, even many of those who
formerly supported him with enthu-
siasm cannot help feeling that the
man shows every disposition to try
rule or ruin. He surely does not be-
lieve for a moment that such a plat
form would stand even as much
chance for success as it did when he
went down with it in overwhelming
defeat. It is hard to understand the
persistency of the man.
AS the Richmond Times-Dispatch
well says:
It is hard to explain the excess Of
such i~nvincible folly, except that Mr.
Bryan has entirely lost his bearings,
and is out of sympathy with the ma
iority of the Democratic party in the
United States. He seems saturated
with that feeling, which has for ages
been the characteristic of desperate
politicians, that if they cannot rule,
they much prefer to ruin. 1t would
be a mere qualification to undertake
to show how preposterous are these
demands of Mr.. Bryan.
1t is not much to say that passion
and prejudice and Infinite vanity
have so warped his reason and have
so blinded his eyes to the memorable
logic of events, that his deliveranceS
should be only regarded as objects o.
curiosity, without force or influence
If the party is to be influenced By
MI. Bryan and his views it may as
well give up the fight and play
quickly into Mr.. Roosevelt's hands
for that is what the effect of a return
to the old scores would be- The
Washington Post in an editorial en-
titled "Mr. Bryan Declares War;
says:
Any attempt to revive old and dis
credited isms will prevent the return
so essential to success, of the sounC
money and sound government Dem
ocrats of the East. Kansas, Nebras
ka, Montana, Colorado, Utah anC
Idaho have returned to the Republi
can column, and no resuscitation o
the Kansas City platform can turf
them back into the Democratic col
umn. while the reaffrmation of tn
platform would deprive the Demo
Gratis Of every possible chance o
carrying New York, Indiana, Hi
nois, New Jersey, West Virginia, o
other States in which their prospect
are now so fatterlng. There seem
nothing left for the "sane DemOcra
.cvn but prompt and vigorous action
looking to the complete elimination
of Bryanism. 1t should be sufhcien
for them to observe the unfeigneC
glee with which the Republicans viii
welcome Mr.. Bryan's ultimatum.
In other words, if Bryan and Bry
4anism are to cut any figure in tn
campaign the Democratic party ha'
lust as well look for sad election re