Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-05-30
Hearst. Bryan or Bailey.

keIiigent political correspondents
kn this country, in 4 special letter
H. the Post Monday says:
As all roads used 10 lead 80
Rome. So do all political discus
lions in the United States lead to
she Presidency. The approaching
k'ongressional campaign is conced-
&dly fraught with unusual impor-
Aance TO every available Presiden-
Hal candidate in both parties.
Republican leaders are about
(creed that the result of the strug-
!, ,lc next November for control of
thc House OF the Sixticth Congress
kill determine whether their leader
h 1905 shall be a representative of
sshat for lack OF an ap:er term is
falled Roosevelt radicalism or
thother hc shall represent that
Conservatism that actually or nom-
lady is opposed 10 the cXjS'ing
state of things in theWhite House.
In an important sense the Dem
Bcracy is as deeply concerned over
/ he outcome of the contest between
|hese opposing forces in the oppo-
|ition party as Republicanism it
|elf, for the Democracy will be
Governed almost as largely in 1908
5 it was in 1904 by the action of
Die Republicans in choosing be-
tween these two extremes of polit-
ral thought. To the extent that
he Democrats at this juncturc are
| ot so acutely threatened with
dangerous internal disorders as are
|he Republicans, they have de-
(ided advantage in the task ahead
bf selecting a standard bearer for
he next great fight. Then, again,
Iheir position Is more advantageous
/ rom another viewpoint. There is
ho tremendous economic or fiscal
issue like that of the tariff to dis
tract their councils and confuse
their Judgments.
Now that free silver is as dead
Rs African slavery, the Democracy
is united once more on all the great
questions that divide the electorate
into two parties, and its rank and
file can be more easily reconciled
10 the party leadership commits
Fioned by its chosen representa-
lives in convention than can that of
he Republicans, unless by some
Iortuitous caprice of fortune which
has attended the Republican party
rom It's birth, the Democracy does
hat which General Grant once
wisely predicted could always he
depended upon, which was that
the Democracy invariably made
} id fool of itself at the right
lime"
From still another point of view
he Democrats seem in better shape
st the present moment for the bio
Fight two years hence than Go the
Republicans, and that is that thus
larly in the preliminary skirmish
Pc movements of mystery rs TO the
telection of the leader are going on.
Only three names are at this time
being seriously considered by the
masses and the leaders of the
party. They are William Jen-
Iings Bryan, William Randolph
Hearst and Joseph Weldon Bailey.
|Nlr. Bryan's candidacy, of course,
|haS become as fixed a thing in the
politics of this day as was that of
llenry Clay, among the Wings,
more than half a century ago, and
Pf James q. Blaine, among the
Republicans, twenty years ago.
The Nebraskan has written Il
etter from the jungles Of India to
p friend in St. Louis saying that
he would be governed by circum-
etances in the matter of again ask
(ng for his party's nomination.
The only other thing he could have
faid was that in no circumstances
would he accept third nomination.
Hence, Mr.. Bryan may be consid-
Pred in the race for his party :
leadership.
Delaney Nicoll, Of New York
(who was in Washington last week,
sleclared thG, he W. IS for Bryan
against all comers, and intimated
nat whatever influence may be
controlled by Alton b. Parker will
pc eXerted foy the twice-defeated
candidates nomination. If Mr..
'NIcoll speaks 10y the card, and if
f'udge Parker represents anything
pt moment in the party, then ii
Follows that ai least portion of
.Ihe conservative clement which