The Penn's Grove record., 1906-09-14
Bryan and sullivaii.
Wilmington Stat.

which never figures upon the personal
equation, Mr.. Bryan has done a service
to the country in denouncing Roger
Sullivan and his methods, and repud-
iating the endorsement of himself as a
candidate for President by the men
who at the same time endorsed Sulli-
van as the boss of Illinois. In his
speech before the Jefferson Club MI.
Bryan defended his attack upon Sulli-
van and excused what has been called
his interference into Illinois politics.
On this point he said: eff you say
that | have no right to interfere in the
politics of this State, I reply that l am
simply applying to Illinois a principle
which l believe ought to be applied
universally. I do not regard it a. a
compliment to be Endorsed for the presi-
dency by a convention which Endorsed
Mr.. Sullivan. 1 told them in advance
that 1 did not want an Endorsement
under such circumstances, and l re-
pudiate it.. If my nomination for an
Office depended upon that Endorsement
1 would not accept it,"
Speaking in the very stronghold
of the Illinois boss, MI. Bryan said: 81
object to Sullivan as a political assoc
late. He is an able man, a clever man,
and personally a very genial fellow;
the corporations could not afford to
employ any other kind to do their polit-
ical work but my only political asset
is the confidence that the people have
in my sincerity, and 1 do not want
that shattered by intimacy with men
of his political methods. Those who
voted to indorse me were either deceiv-
ed themselves or thought they could
deceive me. If they were deceived,
they will be glad to be undeceived. If
they thought to de, ieve me they will
have more respect for me when they
find that they did not succeed"
This is a high plane Mr.. Bryan has
taken, but its none to high, and if all
men who aspire to public Office would
join him in repudiating endorsements
that come from those who are Til
worthy, and who would themselves de-
cline to support men who would accept
such endorsements, we should certainly
be Oh the high road to a betterment of
our political conditions.
But all this touches merely MI.
Bryan's personal attitude toward men
of the Sullivan stripe. The sympathies
of all honest men will be with him,
and just in proportion as they will
doubt the ''expediency' of his attack
they will respect his courage and be
the more convinced of his fituess for
office. But Mr.. Bryan has some other
things to say of a more general charact-
Cuttings that touch the political con-
ditions now prevailing in almost every
state in the Union.
In declaring his objection to Sullivan,
he but set forth the objections to nine
tenths of the men who aspire to politi-
cal office in this country" "What."
he asked, is the objection to Mr..
Sullivan?" And then he proceeded to
draw his Indictment in the following
terms: "He is a high official in a fran
chise holding corporation which is con-
family seeking favors at the hands Of
the government. He is familiar with
all the methods employed by such cor
porations to gain from local and state
governments special favors and privi-
1 hold that no man who is
officially connected with a corporation
that is seeking privileges ought to act
as a member of a political organization,
because he cannot represent his corpor-
and the people at the same time.
| am opposed to allowing a man situat-
ed as he is to use the public treasury to
pay the debts that he owes to those
who help his corporation to take advan-
tage Of the public; and therefore / in
sist that the fight should be commence
ed to-day to prevent his reelection to
the national committee. And what I
say of him l say of aspirants for posi-
lions in the party organization in other
states. If the Democratic party has
not virtue enough tospew out those who
traffic in politics for the advantage of
the corporations to which they belong,
it does not deserve victory, nor can it
hope for it."
This is the spirit in which every citi-
zen should regard men of the Sullivan
type. The men who control our poll
tical organizations and who are the
most braZen and insistent in seeking
place are of the kind that Mr..
condemns as unfit for office. Of
course Mr.. Bryan's sincerity has been
questioned. This was to be expected,
but that mode of answering him is
fair nor pertinent. The only
point that calls ~fordecision is the sound
ness of his position. Is he correct when
he says that mo man who is officially
connected with a corporation that is
seeking privileges ought to act as a
member of a political organization?
The time will come, we believe, when
the people will answer this question in
affirmative, and when that time ar
rIves we shall see many new faces on
the political horizon.
D