The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-29
William Jennings BRAN.

Il has been evident ever since the re-
turn Of William Jennings Bryan from his
world tour that he would be the most
formidable candidate for the Presidential
nomination at the hands OF the Demo-
cratic party, His admission TO an inter
viewer at Topeka that he is still in re-
ceptiye mood will, therefore, occasion no
surprise While I have not yet an
nounced that I would be a candidate,
Mr.. Bryan is reported as saying, I have
not stated that I would not be a candi-
date Such a high honor as the Presi-
Dental nomination is something that no
American citizen should decline" This
is the typical attitude Of the ambitious
American statesman, and we imagine no
good American will be disposed TO find
fault with it,
We do not desCTy any serious opposition
within the Democratic party 10 the nOmi-
nation Of Mr.. Bryan. His Madison Square
Garden speech advocating public owner
ship of certain utilities was d shock 10
many Of his adheTents. especially in the
South, and from that quarter there has
gone up an aspiration for the nomination
the South is full Of good and able men,
no one Of them is sufficiently conspicuous
to attract the attention of the country as
a Presidential candidate; nor has South
ern sentiment so far concentrated about
any one "favorite SON" If Mr.. Bryan
made tactical blunder on his arrival in
New York last summer, it was one of
those blunders easily cOndOned. as it
showed fidelity TO conviction and indie
pendence in leadership. qualities which
appeal strongly to popular imagination.
Mr.. Bryan's personal opinions on the
question of public ownership, as qualified
by later utterances removing them to the
domain of academic discussion Of future
possibilities, will not count heavily
against him in any section of the coun-
try.
Mr.. Bryan's strength as a Presidential
candidate is undeniably greater than that
Of any other statesman Of prominence in
his own party. His two former cam
paigns were conducted under conditions
which may not occur again. In the first
he raised a false issue, which aroused
not readily Gained by a new
and untried figure in public life In the
second he was handicapped in many ways.
With the passing years Mr.. Bryan
has come to be understood ald trusted
He IS no longer thought of, save by the
conservative, as a dangerous agita-
tor and an INSCRIPTIONS demagogue. He
is seen to be representative of deep-rooted
popular aspirations, of the yearning Of
the plain people for better government, Of
the well-nigh universal belief that democ-
racy must confront and master the grow
ing power of organized wealth OF yield
the scepter to plutocracy. His representa-
tive character in these respects is ex-
ceedeG by that of only one other com
manding public figure; Theodore Roose-
welt sums up in his foTceful and versatile
personality the thoughts, feelings, and
hopes of his countrymen more truly than
any other American of his time. The
essential identity of view held by these
two men on economic questions is ex-
tremely significant of the forces at work
molding our national destiny.
It is far from idle prediction to assert
that either Theodore Roosevelt OF William
Jennings Bryan will occupy the Presi-