Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1906-07-12
BRYAN'S VERSATILITY.
Makes a Grand Stand Play for the
Votes of Fledgling So
ci., i-ts.

W. j. Bryan has been off the main
route for some time but it has come
TO his knowledge that some Democrat
ic state conventions have nominated
him in advance as the Democratic,
candidate for president in 1908, and
we have a report Of his comments
upon that TACT, says the Chicago
Chronicle.
He appreciates the compliment,
though it is suddenly which, pos
sibly, he may mean premature Be
that as it may, he is quoted as saying
that it is too early "either to make or
discuss political plans for 1908"
There certainly is time for a good
many things TO happen during the two
years between the nomination by Mis-
souri, and the nomination by the ma
tlonal Democratic convention.
These are times of hysteria sham
and real, and things that are said and
done about a nomination for the presi-
dency two years in the future are
liable to become damaged in cold stor-
age during the interval. The eulo-
gums recently pronounced by the
penitents Coils. Watterson and Villas
may look silly in June, 1908.
While Col Bryan realizes that it is
too early for him either to make or
discuss political plans for 1908. he
cannot resist the temptation to talk.
Possibly the colonels of the other
metallic persuasion strongly suspect.
ed such would be the case, and that
may account for their otherwise start
ling eccentricity in coming forward
so promptly as representatives of the
Palmer and Buckner gold men and
pronouncing their sonorous eulogiums
upon the great apostle of 16 to !.
They may have had the idea that If
they broke forth into panegyric Mr..
Bryan would certainly break forth
into speech which is silver, instead of
maintaining the silence which is gold
en-, and talk himself to death before
1908.
If so their expectations are in fair
way to be realized. Mr. Bryan GER
tainly has made a good beginning IL
the dispatches from Berlin do him no
injustice. He is reported from that
city as praising the Republican re.
formers and eXhorting the Republican
party to listen to their voice and get
the start of the Democrats in the re-
form business. If the people really
like the sort of reform now in the air
they will naturally hold fast to the
party which first takes up the reform
work. If they do not like it what will
become of Mr.. Bryan and the rest OF
the Democratic reformers?
Mr.. Bryan is further quoted: my
political career discloses no instance
where | have abandoned any principle
formerly espoused. So far as silver
is concerned, / can only say that
events have fully vindicated the posi-
tion of the bimetallists."
Now, there is something for Mr..
Francis and Coils. Watterson and Villas
and the Democratic men of affairs in
the east to ponder. Do they think
that Mr.. Bryan has already begun to
talk too much and is in a fair way
to get a terrible shaking as Pollpar-
rot did when she said Sick 'em!"
once too often to the dog?
In this same deliverance Mr.. Bryan
let's us all know that he not only
stands for bimetallism still. but also
for government ownership and opera
tion of public utilities on tremen-
dous scale He has abandoned no
principle formerly espoused and he
has thoroughly committed himself to
government ownership.
He attempts to make a distinction
between Democracy" by which lie
evidently means such ownership, and
socialism. Democracy" he says,
recognizes competition as Legitimate
and tries to protect the competitive
principle from attack. Socialism sees
competition as an evil to be eliminated
by public ownership and operation of
all means of production and distribu-
ton"
But he nastens to add that. while
this distinction between Democracy
and socialism should not be over
looked, the Democratic platform must
be one of progress and reform and not
merely of opposition to Republican
policies or socialistic ideas"
That is to say, the Democratic party
should be hospitable to socialistic pub
lie ownership ideas in order to gather
in the votes Of half-fedged socialists.
This may be satisfactory to con
servative Democrats" whose sleep is
disturbed by the specter of socialism,
but it will not attract to the support
of Mr.. Bryan men who care to offer
strenuous resistance to socialistic ten
dencieS.
DEven If Mr.. Bryan's boom should
have no substantial results otherwise,
it may give him the necessary mate
rial for THE Third Battle" Mean
L.. l. =.