The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-06-01
DEMOCRATIC TIMBER
FOR EINETEEN-EIGHT.
Dickinson, in Washington Post.

As all roads used to lead to Rome,
80 do all political discussions in the
United States lead to the Presidency.
The approaching congressional cam
paign is eoncededly fraught with un-
usual importance to every available
presidential candidate in both parties.
Republican leaders are about agreed
that the result Of the struggle next
November for control of The House
Of the Sixtieth Congress will determ-
inc whether their leader in 1903 shall
be a representative Of what for lack
Of an apter term is called Roosevelt
radicalism or whether he shall repre-
sent that conservatism that actually
or norninally is opposed to the exist
ing state Of things at the White
House.
Democracy's Advantage.
In an important sense the deInoc-
racy is az deeply concerned orer the
outcome Of the contest between these
opposing forces in the opposition par
ty as republicanism i,s4lf, for the
democracy will be governed almost az
largely in 1908 az ii was in 1904 BY
the action Of the republicans in choos-
ing between these two extremes Of po-
litical thought. To the extent that
the democrats at this juncture are
not 50 acua,ely Threatened with dan
gerous internal disorders as are the
republicans, they have decided ad-
vantage in the task ahead of select
ing standard bearer for the next
great fight. Then, again, there posi-
tion is more advantageous from an
other viewpoint. There is no tre-
1nendous economic Or fiscal issue like
that Of the tariff to distract their
councils and confuse their judgments.
Now that free silver is as dead as
African slavery, the democracy is
united once more on all the great
questions that divide the electorate
into two parties, and its rank and file
can be more easily rcconcilcd to the
party leadership commissioned by it's
chosen representatives. in convention
than can that Of the republicans un-
less the democracy does that which
Grant once predicted could always
be depended upon which was that
"thc democracy invariably made q
id fool Of itself at the. right
tirnc.'
Bryan, Hearst or Bailey.
From still another point Of view,
the democrats seem in better shape at
the present moment for the big fight
two years hence than do the rcpub-
]icans and that is that thus early in
the preliminary skirInish no move
ments Of mystery as to the selection
OF the leader is going on. Only three
names are at this time being serious
)y considered by the masses and the
leaders Of the party. They are Will
Jams Jennings Bryan, William Ran
dolph Hearst, and Joseph Weldon
Bailey. Mr.. Bryan's candidacy, Of
course has become a fixed thing in the
politics Of this day as was that Of
Henry Clay, among the republicans,
twenty years ago. The Nebraskan
has written a letter from the junglcs
Of India to friend saying that he
would be governed by circumstances
in the matter Of again asking for his
pnrty's nomination. The only other
thing he could have said was that in
no circumstance would he accept a
third nomination. Hence Mr.. Bryan
may be considered in the race for his
pnrty's leadership.
DE Lanccy Nicoll, Of New York,
who was in Washington last week,
declared that he was for BRYAN
against all comcrs, and intimatcd that
whatever influence may be controlled
by Alton B. Parker represents any
thing OF moment in the party, then
it follows that at least a portion Of
the conservative elements which
forced the nninspiring New York
jurist upon the Southern democrats
in 1904 will throw it's influence to the
Nebraskan whom thcsc influences
once fought desperately. Nothing
stranger than this could happen in
American politics; nothing stranger
has happened unless it be the indorsc-
mcnt by faction Of the democracy
Of the nomination Of Horace Greeley.
Hearst AS o Factor.
But it is by no means certain that
even with the support of conservative
S,lH II, Il, L. l., = 1