The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-15
BRYAN,s REPLY TO REAGAN.


reply to Judge Reagan of Texas, which
appears in the current number of The
Commoner, is that Mr.. Bryan and
those in sympathy with his political
views are the only trustworthy men
in the Democratic party. On the 25th
of last month Judge Reagan, who is d
great admirer of Mr.. Bryan, and who
supported him in both of his cam
paigns, wrote him letter in which
he suggested the ACCESSIBILITY of adopt
ing a national Democratic platform,
covering the recognized cardinal
principles of the party and leaving
questions of differences of opinion
among Democrats to be settled with
in the party" In his reply Mr.. Bryan
says: IF those who call themselves
Democrats were one in aim and pur-
pose, a general platform might be suf-
ficient, provided, of course, the can
didate were trustworthy" Further
along in his article Mr. Bryan says:
But the most prominent candidate
among the reorganizers is Judge Par
ker, whose position on public questions
is wholly unknown, but whose atti-
tude can be surmised from the COM
pany he keeps"
We had no doub. that ninety-nine
out Of every hundred of those who vot-
ed for Mr.. Bryan in 1896 and 1900 are
of the opinion that Judge Reagan is
just about as good d Democrat as
Mr.. Bryan is. Indeed, it wouldn't be
surprising il they consider him a much
better Democrat. He was staunch
Democrat long before Mr.. Bryan was
born, and has been a Democrat all
his long life. He is willing to accept
Judge Parker as the nominee of his
party for President. He regards him
as trustworthy in every respect. But
Mr.. Bryan objects to him. as untrust-
worthy, because Of the company he
keeps Can it be possible that Mr..
Bryan is better qualified to say who
among the prominent Democrats of the
country are trustworthy and who are
not than Judge Reagan is? The ques-
tion carries with it its answer.
The inference from Mr.. Bryans pa
per is that Mr.. Bryan is supporting
Mr.. Hearst. If he is not actively sup
porting him he is giving him all the
encouragement he can in quiet way.
The reports in his paper OF the con-
ventions which have selected Hearst
delegates are very full, while the re-
ports of those in which Parker dele
gates We're chosen are given only
few lines: No better evidence is
needed to show with which candidate
Mr. Bryan sympathizes.
1t is admitted on all hands that
Judge Parker is a man of acknowl-
edged ability and unquestioned re-
spectability. 1t is not denied that he
has been a Democrat all of his life
and that he has always voted the
Democratic ticket. 1t is not denied
that he is in entire sympathy with
the cardinal principles of the Demo-
cratic party, the principles that make
him acceptable to Judge Reagan and
all other Democrats, except Mr.. Bryan
and his immediate followers. He is
the kind of a Democrat that Judge
Reagan wants to see elected President,
because he can be depended upon to
do what is right and to safeguard the
interests of the people.
Mr. Bryan, however. objects to him
because he doesn't believe he is trust
worthy. He isn't trustworthy, Mr.
Bryan thinks, because ex-senator Hill
and August Belmont have taken an
interest in his candidacy Mr.. Hill and
Mr.. Belmont didn't give Mr.. Bryan
hearty support in his campaigns, and
that is why, doubtless, he looks upon
every one they favor as being untrust-
worthy But are many Democrats
going to oppose Judge Parker because
Mr.. Bryan doesn't like Mr.. Hill and
Mr.. Belmont? Are they going to help
Mr.. Bryan get even," as it were,
with Mr.. Hill and Mr.. Belmont by
opposing Judge Parker, who, from
present appearances, would stand
better chance of being elected than
any other candidate the Democratic
PARTY could name? 1t really looks as
IL Mr.. Bryan were conducting cam
paign of revenge-a campaign to OPP
pose every candidate favored by those
who didn't get enthusiastic over him
when he was a presidential candi-
date. The Democratic party cannot
afford to help Mr.. Bryan in a cam
paign of that kind-not if it wants
to elect the next President.