Evening journal., 1906-09-10
WHAT IS DESTINY
OF DEMOCRATS? f?
National Party Has Split
on the Rocks Of
RadiCaIiSm
DOOMED TO DISSOLUTION

What is tho destiny Of the national
Democratic party? What will be It's
fate?
In the light Of recent events II looks
as though the historic old party has
struck the rocks of radicalism and has
been sorn asunder. The conservatives
will either have to ally themselves with
the conservative element In the Repub-
lican party, or by adhering TO the old
principles Of the party, go down to sue
.cessive defeats as an organization.
Two years ago the conservatives cap
tured the national convention OF the
party and nominated Judge Alton b.
Parker OF New York. a highly reput-
able and respectable gentleman. for
President. He was defeated far more
signally than was Mr.. Bryan I'm 1900.
His fate demonstrated that the con-
lservatives are in the minority Mr..
Roosevelt's large majority showed
plainly that the radical voters far out
number the conservatives.
Split on Radical Issues.
Even on radical issues the Democrats
are hopelessly divided. Hearst, the
New York self-seeking demagogue is
carrying the party TO chaos. A large
element OF the party, realizing that
there is no hope Of success under a
conservative hag, had looked forward
to Mr.. Bryan as Moses to lead them
out of the wilderness. They had fond
ly hoped that he was a changed man.
but as soon as he sets foot on Amerl-
can soil again and again reveals his
true self he throws the conservative
wing Of his party. and especially the
Southern element, into CONSERVATION
by declaring for impossible public
ownership Of railroads.
The Democrats may be said to be di-
vided into three factions-the conser-
vative, the Hearst and Bryan factions
The conservatives cordially detest
both. Between Bryan and Hearst
there is a warfare that promises to aid
in the disruption of the party. Bryan
has just assailed Roger c. Sullivan and
! Charles A. Walsh. the memhers from
Illinois and Iowa, respectively, NJ the
Democratic National Committee. Bry-
lan's hostility 10 Sullivan IS ostenslbly
due TO what p = N calls his fraudulent
election. In reality, Sullivan's leanings
toward Hearst are the melting cause
at this particular time. Walsh Is OBJ
noxious TO Bryan because he was an
outspozen advocate of Hearst for the
candidacy in 1908. and because Walsh
has worked persistently for two O,
three years against Bryan In Iowa.
Hostile Hearst Forces.
In both Illinois and Iowa Bryan has
a large following. He has the indorse-
lment Of each state, but in each he has
1.-THE Hearst forces against him. More
over, in each State Hearst is making
igains In those States, as I'm New
York and the rest Of the country IL
which he is working. Hearsts han,
is not openly seen. But he is maknl
his fight. Believing, Ike many othe
Democrats, that Bryan's boom vii
burst before 1908. Hearst Is preparlni
to occupy the field when Bryan &
Z pushed out Of II.
II Hearst as the candidate Of th'
Independents or the Democrats. shoulr
run and get large vote for Governo
of New York I'm 1906. he would be
potent figure In the presidential con.
vention of 1908. Bryan sees this ai
clearly as does any other intelligent OBJ
server. He fears and dislikes Hearst
lEealizing that Hearst, without any or
Iganization behind him. and after a can.
vass Of only three weeks came within
1000 or 5000 votes Of beating McClel
Ian for mayor Of New York IN 1905
Bryan knows that Hearst's rivalry fo
the presidential nomination Is formid
able. Next to William r. Hearst him
self. the most interested observer %
the New York Povernorship campaign
viii be William j. Bryan.
Hearst is Bryan's enemy and Brvai
} and the rest of the country know It,
Cutting Loose From Bryan.
Because Of Mr. Bryan's public own
! ership declarations thousands upol
] thousands of Democrats in New York
elsewhere in the East, and, in fact
/ throughout the country who were dis
posed to accept his leadership and hi
candidacy for the presidency in 1905
have cut loose from him. They ar
drifting not knowing whittier to turi
for a leader or for a candidate. An
yet so strong is the hold which MI
3 Bryan has upon large element of hi
party that it may still be asked wha
!. is the Democratic party without Bry
an?
BY his acquiescence I'm Mr.. Hearst
public ownership ideas. Mr.. Bryan ha
!, subordinated himself to Mr. Hearsi
Mr.. Bryan spoiled everything He car
never be elected president Of the Unite
States. unless financial depression
comes. That would mean financial an
commercial failure. thousands upo
thousands out Of employment and tn
I gaunt finger Of hunger stalking abroad
0 Even Mr.. Bryan himself would rathe
/ be defeated if his election must b
brought about by such conditions.
The founders of the Democrat
!, party were strongly opposed to eve
= the semblance of Capitalization in IN
= national government, as would folio,
Q public ownership OF railroads. "Yo
/ have seem" wrote jefferson to Gideo
Granger in 1900, "the practices b
which the public servents have bee
able to cover their conduct, or, wher
o that could not be done. delusions b
a which they have vanished it for tn
eye Of their constituents. What a
=. augmentation OF the field for jobbni
specializing, plundering, office buildin
and office hunting would be produce
, by an assumption Of all the stat
9 powers into the hands of the generi
q government" What would the foun
9 der Of Mr.. Bryan's party think Of tn
proposition TO endow the federal govern
ment with a function not only neve
proposed heretofore as a national aC
/ tivity by any great party, but one ais
1,,..o,a tI,a uooro nf 20