The Irish standard., 1905-09-02
THE DEMOCRATIC SITUATION.

THE DEMOCRATIC SITUATION.
\ remarkably strong and clear
| statement of the present condition of
! the national Democratic party was re-
Gently made in the editorial columns
of the Louisville Courier-Journal Mr..
| Watterson after reviewing the last
two columns, comments upon the con,
dition of the political thought in the
middle western states, as observed by
an experienced correspondent of his
paper. This correspondent found that
! tie issues uppermost in the Demo-
attic mind in the middle west, are
the railway rate question, the trust
question and the tariff question.
Mr.. Bryan is declared to be the most
popular and the accepted leader in the
states visited, which include Kansas,
Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The Courier-Journal accepts condi-
tions as they exist and is willing to
treat with men and measures. 1t
makes the unnecessary statement that
it is still Democratic and that it could
not support Republican ticket if it
tried; 1t, however, maintains the right
to determine for itself what principles
are Democratic and what leaders advo-
cate Democratic principles. In the fol-
lowing succinct and clear manner it
points out the present condition of the
Democracy and its own attitude
towards Mr.. Bryan:
with two Democratic parties
against one Republican party, Democ-
racy must go down to defeat, but it is
too early to say whether we are going
to have two Democratic parties-there
is little room to doubt that Mr.. Bryan
will control the party machinery and
policy of 1908, it will be therefore up
to him to say whether theoretical or
we shall be dragged through new re.
gions of experiment or shall take the
highway of the actual, whether we
shall continue the folly of extracting
sunbeams from cucumbers or shall ad
dress ourselves to things immediate
and tangible; in short whether we
shall fight real instead of sham
battle or still go on incoming after the
impossible.
MIR. Bryan is yet young enough to
learn, and if ne improves the foreign
journey he is about to take, he will
come back refreshed, invigorated and
enlightened. If he comes back thus
newly equipped for leadership, there
will be hope; but if he picks up on his
travels a lot of loose notions about
the rights of man, tickling the ear,
but battling the sense of the people
involving theories of centralization
ana paternalism at variance with all
the teachings of Democracy-the
will be none whatever. Neither Mr..
Bryan nor any of the rest of us can
out Watson-Tom Watson. On that
line the loudest and the craziest al
ways wins the toss-ups for place. 1t
were indeed better to lall in behind
Teddy than evaporate with Tom. AS
matter of fact, however, we need do
neither, for time at least, let the
party paddle it's own canoe"
Not only is the above pretty COM
prehensive statement of the situation,
but it gives hope that the time is near
at hand when there will no longer be
two Democratic parties. When Mr..
Watterson can speak of Mr.. Bryan in
as temperate tone as the foregoing
there is hope that the great majority
of Mr.. Bryan's Democratic opponents
may yet be won to his standard.
The Courier-Journal is right in say
ing that Mr.. Bryan is yet young
enough to learn, and we are sure that
Mr.. Bryan himself would not claim
that there is not something for him to
learn. Recent utterances by him show
that he is no longer welded to the one
Idea. He doubtless has learned that
leadership Of political party involves
more than the consideration and dis
cussion of single topic. Mr.. Bryan
is the most popular Democrat in the
country. he holds his followers in a
way that no other leader does, and he
has the sincere respect of political op-
ponents. 1t is easily possible for Mr..
Bryan to be the next nominee of the
party and the next president of the
United States; certain 1t is, he is as
we'll liked by his friends today as he
+, was in 1896, and great deal more re-
spected and less feared by his
/, enemies.
The London Athenaeum states that
Messrs. Hodges, Figgis & Co., of Dub
lin, will publish, in few weeks, Mrs.