The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-04-18

iscaHy Tor h Fight OF 1906
The Presidential campaign of 1908,
50 far Is relates to the preliminary
parts and parcels thereof. il well un-
der way on both the Democratic ana
Republican sides. Indeed it may
properly be said to have began on the
Democratic side by the twice-defeated
candidate but still most influential
nlember Of that party long before the
alleged campaign OF 1904 was inaugu-
rated by the nomination Of Parker and
Davis. When it became evident that
tile Southern Democrats were fayora-
Ily inclined To the sane and safe"
movement and would accept David
bills candidate. Mr.. Bryan turned his
attention to 1905. and labored noes
sanity to introduce n candidate tIlat
would put his faction OF the party ON
top again How effectively he wrought
was apparent when the votes were
counted. That he should take the
stump for Parker was an indispensa-
bic feature of his programme. To
have a future he must be a regular.
not a bolter. How well his disciples
understood the situation was also DEM
onstrated by that count of votes. Not
long after the election Mr.. Bryan visit
ell indianapolis and was proclaimed
the leader of the Democratic party by
Chairman Taggart. Accepting that
proclamation as authentic CREDENTIALS
Mr.. Bryan has ever since been busy i'll
getting up a collection of planks for
1908 and rallying the Democratic
brethren AMI all of the plain people
for a successful movement against the
Republican party, and, incidentally,
against everything that smacks OF
conservatism and in support of all that
is radical. The country has Mr.. Bry-
ans positive assurance that his efforts
are already crowned With success.
Ever at this early date. more h
three and a half years before the mex
Presidential election. II casts his eye
over the vast expanse of ~forty-five
states, with their 100000 of voters,
and declares, in effect, that his brave
battle for Democratic unification has
been won. In his speech at Des
Moines last Saturday night, he said:
THE Democratic party is again united,
and it is united upon the basis of Il
forward movement. The Democrats
are ready for the fight of 1905"
Possibly the Iowa Democratic squad
whom Mr.. Bryan addressed on that oc-
casion lis again united" but 1.-The
Democratic party or the voting citi-
zens who call themselves Democrats
for there rally is no party organization
cannot be regarded as united in or
on anything As to 1.-The eenmy's
country" the leadership of Mr.. Bryan
is as unwelcome today as it ever was
And the New York World, the leading
Democratic paper east Of the Missis-
sippi, persists in printing such editorial
d~eliverances as the fOllOWing:
Theodore Roosevelt will be renOui-
mated for President of the United
States in 1903, and he will be re-elect-
ed. Though his domination of the par
ty organization and his control of the
Postoffice Department Mr.. Roosevelt
already has tic nomination in his own:
hands There will be nc trouble about
obtaining a majority Of the delegates
in the national convention. He will
be re-elected-nut merely because he is
the Idol of the people or on account or
his virtues or by reason Of mistakes
that add to his popularity, but because
there will be n "real opposition. The
Democratic party lis and will be hope
lessly divided against itself"
Mr.: EeYan Nyfully and proudly pro-
claims that 1.-The aggressive and pro-
gressive elemenr-the radical element,
R you please-of the Democratic
party is again LII control of the party,
will be sas soothing as the Haunting of
a red flag in a bull pen. The term rad
zeal eIenlns,'' as used by Mr.. Bryan to
day. means a good deal more than it
meant in 1896 OK 1900, for the country
understands that he is preparing to
cater to, Or dieEer with the socialists,
just as he did with the Populists in
1886. Coreeding that there is a strong
demand for more radicalism than was
/ represented by Parker and Davis, and
that the Republican party stands pat
on abuses that it should have reform
ed. it does not follow that t1e country
| Is prevared to welcome the revised q
ton Of Organism as a relief from ex-
Esting' eoudItions.-Washin ston Post.