The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-12-15
Rrrnn Is Unfair.

The Baltimore Sun is Gospel with
many Democrats, and It gives the
Telegram great pleasure for their
edfdcati0n and enlightenment to re-
produce the following editorial from
the Sun that they may see that
Bryan does things that are quite un-
fair and most assuredly reprehensi-
Bile on the part of one who poses as
q leader of Americans as he does:
The Presidents message is damn
ed by Mr.. Bryan with faint praise.
He discer1s Democratic doctrine in it
and gives Mr.. Roosevelt credit for
following the bIafzed trail. On the
other hand, he declares acrimonious
~ that some proposals put forgard
by the President ARE so absurd that
they would excite amusement If the
suggestions came from less prom
inent source This is severe Ian
guaEe, and Mr.. Bryan should at
tempt to justify it by quoting chap
ter and verse If he finds the message
so vulnerable. It may not be of
even excellence thrIout-its vol
ume and the variety Of subjects
treated preclude that; but it is
captious critic who will deny Its
merits. and Mr. Bryan in one re-
spect is more than captious-he IL
unjust. We refer to what he has to
say about the Presidents views of
the national defense, as follows:
There will be general disappoint-
ment at the warlfke tone of his mes
sage where he discusses the army
any navy He speaks of the navy
as the surest guarantor of peace
which this country possesses. Shame
upon the Chief Executive that he
should place an instrument of brute
force above the nations sense of JUS
tice as a guarantor of peace. The
best guarantor of peace is our ma
lions principle to deal justly with
other nations"
Shame upon Mr.. Bryan for plac-
ing theory of preventive policy
above sentiment of peace and good
will and observance OF the Golden
Rule! Shame npon Mr.. Bryan for
passing over in silence the ESSAYS on
international Morality" and Pence
and glorify the message There
are passages In them which Mr..
Bryan as friend of mankind and
citizen of the world might have writ
ten himself.
What fault can he find with this
admirable sentiment:
1T should he our steady aim to
raise the ethical standard of indi-
viduaI action
And what exception can he take to
this just and gentle precept:
cit is morally as indefensible for
a nation to commit Il wrong upon an
other nation, strong or weak. as for
an individual thus to wrong his fell
lows
We think there will be general
at the warlike COM
ment of Mr. Bryan upon a message
which cannot fail to enhance Mr.:
Roosevelt's reputation as lover of
peace ana champion OF International
morality. For Mr.. Bryan when he
has charged Mr.. Roosevelt with APP
his reform thunder
there has been measure of sym |
pathy. aItho, II Mr.. Bryan is the
older. Mr.. Roosevelt is the better
radical in his endeavor to perform
what Mr.. Bryan has only protested; |
but there is no copyright on the ap-
plication of the Golden Rule to inter !
national policy. We shall hope,
therefore. that Mr.. Bryan Will not
add to his Indictment of Mr. Roose-
welt a count that he has appropriate
ed sentiments which all good men
share in common, altho some utter
them with finer effect than others.
On further reflection Mr. Bryan.
being a just man, will confess that
the tone OF the message as wnole
is pacific and not warlike, gracious
md not provocative, and as beneVo-
lent as the spirit OF his own homllles'