The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-08-21
t. IN His Own Country.
By Sheldon :. Cline

nounced purpose 81 Mr.. Bran tn take
as small a part as may De possible
IN this years campaign 5 a severe
disappointment 10 Chairman GriSxs
n the members Of the Democratic
congressional campaign committee.
lhey had hoped Mr., Bryan wouli
make speeches in practically every
close district and were counting largely
on his popularity 10 enthuse the dem
ocratc rank and file.
g Ar. Bryan's policy has the anprnvaI
however. Of those OF his friends who
are looking beyond this years contest
10 the larger stake # 1908. The Bryan
Doom mas grown 10 It's present proper
tons with Mr.. Bryan on lie orhe-
/ d OF the world. Things have be =
progressing Very nicely, so nicely, in
coed, that man like Bailey. OF Texas.
VINO have never BEEN friendly 10 the
N~ebraskan. concede his nomination
t"o years hence. What god purpose
Is 10 be served. therefore. BY Mr.. Brv-
ans return and participation In the
campaign? II his nomination be al
ready assured, ii is not necessary hat
Mr.. Bryan should do ANYTHING 10 push
me boom along. And with him h re
making daily speeches, he Q would
always be present the possibility %
some untOward occurrence fh-t would
give the boom ? setback.
And SO. thare was relief and sa't-.
faction when he word came thar af.
ter 4 few wees N America Mr.. BRYAN
would again st sail for n ,n@ yoyag
70 A"s-T&li2. NJ a~-rau.eucnt o.
ihin@s could haze b-en better. Ate,
Il Ions absence. during which his pop
uiaElty has had tremendous growth Mr..
Bryan returns. receives the plaudit
OF his devoted followers. max : grace
full acknowledgment. and ails aw t.
again. giving 10 absence a second %.
~portunity TO make he dem pcrati.
heart grow fOnder. Thus, both 10 Mir.
Bryan and the democracy. are spared
the petty annoyance of daily contact.
the criticism that come Of close scrut-
IN, and the depreciation that every
man, no matter how great lie is, must
suffer when the people ale in constant
hearing of his voice.
II is a trite saving. but a true one
that familiarity breeds contempt. Nir
Bryan is envied as a lucky man. Were
the circumstances propitious. more OF
them, no doubt, would so abroad. May.
be Mr.. Bryan's success will make i
the fashion for presidential seekers :
go a~-travelling in order that the peopl'
may regard them through the telescOp,
rather than the microscope.
1t is known, Of course, that Mr.
Bryan will make Il few speeches during
his brief ~soJourn at home, and il Il
expected those speeches will be tn
democratic slogan in this years cam
paign. There is naturally keen ark
iety, therefore, as to what issues Nj
Bryan will make paramount. 1t is tn
hope of most eastern democrats tia
he will come out strong for revision
of the tariff. and put the soft peda
on other policies for which the Ne
braSkan is knOkn personally TO stand
stand.
Especially anxious, are the eastern
conservatives as to what he ma,
say on the subject of government own
ership of railroads. That Mr.. Bryan
is personally in favor of this polio,
is well known, but there is hope tina
he may not press it at this time. Re
tween the attitude of Mr.. Bryan al
this question and democratic struggl
in New York for gOernment ownership
is intimate relation. If Mr. Bryan come
out strong for government ownership
there will be nothing logically left Il
New York but the nomination of Nj
Hearst. Should Mr.. Bryan make tar
if revision paramount, it would largel,
take the wind out of the Hearst sails
because tariff revision has had no con
s~picuous place in the Hearst preach
ment. On the other hand, he re
markable growth of Mr.. Hearst's IN
bernatOrial boom, standing as he do
on q government ownership platform
may convince Mr.. Bryan that the tim'
is ripe to declare that policy as n car
dinaI democratic doctrine.
Radical democrats everywhere ar.
anxious that Mr.. Bryan shall come
! out ff~at-footed for government ow1e:
ship and declare that he will stan.
or fall by that policy. They argu'
that such a course would be the bes
of politics and their argument has {
lot of sound logic back Of it. Tht
situation. as it appeals to the radicals
is about as follows: In 1896 and agar
in 1900, Mr.. Bryan was condemn &
for certain radical preachments. Since
iHSA- - lSIuDiICdA Ia CSINcAL Ao~ an
up most Of those radical preachments
adopted as his own gospel. and force
them upon his parF as good rcpuD.
lican gospel. The result: tTemendou:
popularity for Mr., Roosevelt and pub
lie conviction that those policies hay.
better. certainly rs good. chance o
becoming law with Mr.. Roosevelt q
the helm As with Mr.. Bryan, IN 0;Ee!
words, Roosevelt has stolen Bryan:
thunder. The thing for Mr.. Bryan Il
do. therefore, IS 10 get some neS
thunder, and the most promising 1t
mosphere disturbance is in government.
ownership Of railroads Mr. Roosevelt
has not gone that far. and there Is n
chance that he will go hat far within
the next two years.
And the radicals believe the peopl=
will remember that the things with