The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-09-20
THE IMPOSSIBLE BRYAN
SOme'Very Straight Heart To Heart
Talk 20 Democrats By Demo-
cratic Paper.
The New York Times says:

dent of the United States. 1t is
very doubtful, II is growing every
day more doubtful, whether he
will be nominated by the Demo-
Gratis in 1908. If he gets any
nomination at all it is more likely
to come to him from some rump of
radicalism than from the old or
ganization. He is about the most
disgrunting leader the party ever
had. He has a veritable genius
for discord, division, faction, dis
persion. and defeat. He was clay
in the hands of the silver potters in
1896, but in 1900 he had devel-
oped the dominating spirit, and he
dominated the St. Louis Conven-
ton, forcing the fatal doctrine of
free silver into the platform against
the protests of the party. Again
in 1904 he be-deviled the conven-
ton at St. Louis to such good pur-
pose that, although personally he
is supposed to have given Judge
Parker loyal support, his follow
ers in great numbers went over to
the enemy. Before his'recent re-
turn from Europe the Democratic
Party seemed to be getting itself
into condition again. He put a
stop to all that. His public own
ership speech was like a bomb ex-
ploded in the vitals of the Democ-
racy. 1t rent and mangled it, and
the discovered members and frag-
ments have not even yet all fallen
t. the ground.
All hope of restored union and
solid front has been abandoned.
The Democrats of the East and
South at once noted their dissent.
Last winter leading Republicans
Of Washington were alarmed about
the next house. Republican SEN
ators and members openly express
ed the belief that the Democrats
would secure a majority. Since
Bryan spoke there is no more
chance of the Democrats securing
a majority in the next House of
Representatives than there is of
their electing a majority Of the
British House of Commons or of
the Russian Douma. When Will
lam J. Bryan ascends the platform
to proclaim campaign issues and
declare party principles Republic
cans exult and Democrats despair.
1t strikes us that this is a pretty
grave defeat from party leader.
Although against much evil
dence and under difficulty, we still
cling to the belief that Mr.. Bryan
IS, as politicians go, sincere. His
shortage is mental, not moral. His
mind is hopelessly commonplace,
and its range is rather narrowly
limited. Expediency rather than
insight seems to guide his choice
Of issues, but, whether it may be,
his Judgment is uniformly bad.
He lacks the power to analyze his
own theories and the imagination
to picture forth their working con-
sequences. He seizes upon the new
nostrum with all the avidity and
enthusiasm of a club of boy Social
lists planning an ideal community.
He was apparently quite unaware
that several States in this country
have had a costly and disastrous
experience in owning railroads. 1t
did not 0CCnr to him that the
Southern Democrats would of ne
cessity declare their hostility to a
public ownership policy that must
put stop to their use Of separate
cars for negroes. 1t was only as
an afterthought that he perceived
the irreconcilable conflict between
his vast scheme of Capitalization
and the century-old Democratic
doctrine of the rights and the soy
ereignty of States.
Senator Daniel of Virginia OPEN
ly declares his dissent from the
Bryan doctrines. II do not be-
lieve the people of this country
nor the Democratic Party" he
says, sis in favor of Government
ownership of railroads." Further
declarations OF this nature from