The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-07-25

radical than 10 was IN 1896. Or 80 oul
OF business for the campaign OF 1908.
Mr.. Bryan sees the point, and has de-
clared himself more radical than the
chieaso platform ander which he trsl
ran for President lie = now poll
ticistn Of long eEp fence He has been
in close touch with the leading Demo
cratic and fusion elements long enough
to- know that radfca1ism Is its ital
principle. IA fourth of the vote Bryan
received I'm his two campaigns came
from Populists, and he formally &C
cepted their platforms; which declared
for government paper money and pub
lie ownership Of railroads. The Demo
cratic party tried to be more conserga-
tive in the campaign OF 1904. Mr..
Bryan fought that purpose with all his
might. He was beaten in the conyen-
ton, and the convention itself was
beaten by d still more conservative
telegram from the candidate who, a
few months later. was crushingly de-
feated at the polls. In Missouri in
1896 Bryan received 363.6TT votes.
Parker's vote In the state went down
to 2s6is12; though eight years growth
had been added to the population. A
Parkerized Bryan would fare no better
If as we'll. Bryan is radical by tenn
permanent and record.
In the greatest Democratic strong.
hold in the United States the city Of
New York, radical pushed his way,
single handed, into the last municipal
election. He received over 100000
votes and came within 1000 of cleo
Ftion. Hearst is about to reach for the
state. as he reached for the city, on
platform of extreme radicalism. He Is
Democratic member of Congress. 1t
is only the radical Democratic who
makes stir in the party in these
times. Even in a conservative state
like Massachusetts, the Democrat most
talked about is John B. Moran. district
4 attorney of Boston, who has just an.
nounced that he is candidate for the
Democratic nomination for governor.
Bryan.iike. he presents himself with a
platform written by himself. He also
resembles Bryan. in multiparty ties, for
he already heads the Prohibition state
ticket. He says the function of Demo
Gratis is .'to restore the government
but he proposed to add considerable
including the public ownership and
operation of public utilities. free trade
and a general overhauling of legal and
judicial practices. He says in his ad
dress that the party leaders who don't
like him know already that they can't
prevent his nomination by the Demo
cratic state convention in September
and probably he is right I'M this view.
AT all events he is making more of q
splash than any other Democrat in
New England.
The Republican party, while pro
gressive, is sufficiently conservative tc
retain public confidence. 1t responds
to the sound sentiment of the country
4 and moves forward with vigor as well
us prudence. But 1t is not reckless nor
IIconoclastic. 1t rushes into no rash
experiments. Its genius is not re-
/ SLTlcteu 10 uelpuuGluS anu tSaAAA6
down. 1t makes its own platforms.
and has never had candidate who
presumed to dictate them individually
as Bryan did in the Democratic nation.
al convention of 1900, as Hearst did
last year in New York City, and as
Moran is doing now in Massachusetts.
When Bryan avows that he is more
radical than in 1886 he shows that he
understands the Democratic party and
It's present conditions. The long
strides it took away from conserya
tism in accepting his leadership can
not be retraced, and he will make 1t
more and more radical as long as he
is its strongest memher.-st. Louis
Globe Democrat.