The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-14
SATURDAY. MAY, Il, 1904.
A Complaint Answered.


Recently We received letter rom
A prominent citizen OF Southsidc VIZ
rinia. complaining In Il friendly way OF
ia attitude of The Timcs-Dlspatch to-
ward Mr.. William j. Bryan 1t mas APP
roared to our correspondent that Ihe
Times Dispatch us rejoicing over the fact
that Mr. Bryan Is down and with him INC
large following that he once had. ana
tbot wa have shown n disposition 10 ridi-
c,jc him and to bring him into con-
tempt.
We do not disguise the fact that we
orc clad that Mr. Bryan is no longer the
leader of the Democratic party, and that
there Is no likelihood OF his peils lhc
nominee for the presidency this year. NOT
Al ~, dony that we have every now ana
then given him a lab and ridiculed some
Of his expressions. Humanity spoaklns'
wn might Justify ourselves In this course
IN tho score that Mr.. Bryan has rarely
lost an opportunity to jab Tho Times
D,spatch and all newspapers and men
who refused to support him in 1896. Mr.
Bryan has brought the most serious
charges against his opponents In the
Democratic party, and has said against
them almost everything that decent man,
as Mr.. Bryan is. could III decency say.
Yet, Mr.. Bryan's friends seem to think
that we should take it all In amability
and never give him ROLAND for an
Oliver.
But If we have given him thrust for
thrust it has not been in bad temper,
aud has surely had no personal signifi-
canoe. Our personal relations with Mr..
Eryan have for years been friendly and
agreeable. When he was last In Rich
mond we called upon him at his hotel and
paid orr respects and had pleasant con-
ycrsation with him and took him out to
lunch and gave him a drive and all In
tie most friendly spirit on both sides
He IS an agreeable gentleman and we en-
e joyed Ills society.
But all this is entirely without the dis
cussion. Through the paper we deal witt
Mr.. Bryan as public character ant
not as a man. We deal with him as NJ
ambitious politician, who has extreme
pose is, If he can, to split the party ant
to drive out Of the organization all Dem
ocrats who have refused to follow him
With perfect candbr he said to us wher
in Richmond that there was mo common
ground upon which his paper and The
Times Dispatch could stand. He SAID
that lie would make no compromise witt
Democrats who had opposed him, or. &c
use his own expression, that the cleavage
had gone to the bottom and there could
be no reconciliation, except upon his owr
terms. Subsequently be made a speech
said in substance that the best thing
which the Democratic party could do for
itself would be. Is purge the organization
completely OF the element in opposition
TO him and his peculiar Views.
Since then he has exerted himself
wherever he has been to prevent the two
factions OF the party from harmonlzing
on Judge Parker or on any man like him.
He has been fighting the opposition DEM
ocrats more strenuously than he has
been fighting Republicans. and has been
doing all that he could do to prevent
agreement and harmony between the two
clements, In spite OF the fact that Demo-
Gratis generally have shown a DISPOSE
ton to put aside their former differences
md reunits
On the other hand The rimes-D Dispatch
Is greatly DESTROYS of seeing reunited
Democracy, believing as it does, that
tho welfare of tho republic in this crisis
demands 1t, The election OF Mr.. Roose-
welt would be a public misfortune. He
Is one of the most dangerous of all Re
publican leaders, and If he should he
elected for another term, he would throw
restraints TO the wind and carry out
his extreme views There is but one
prevention of Republicanism and Roose-
veltism, and that is Democracy. The
Democratic party may not be able this
wear to defeat Mr.. Roosevelt, but If the
party Will heartily and cordially reunite
1t Will be powerful check to Roose'
ye!tism even should the Republicans wiz
and would be in position to make sue
ceSsfu! fight four years hence.
As AIR. Bryan is a marplot in the par
" and endeavorlng by all means 10 pre-.
vent reunion. The Times-Dispatch would
be Il poltroon Il it did not oppose him
in this endcavor and did not expose his
design and did not Try TO break his in
fluence. Mr.. Bryan is playing bold
game, and, We believe, selfish game,
and 1t shall not be our fault. II our
readers do not understand it.