Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-06-29
is THERE ONE WHO CAN BEAT
BRYANT

Within a week Mr.. Roosevelt has
said that there Is only one man IN
American who can beat VIM. }. Bryan
for president in the next race. This
man is himself or his Secretary OF War
Taft. Some think he meant the one,
some the other. But no matter which
be may have meant, he has narrowed
the fight to the ordinary prize ring
number as the battle approaches. 1t
used to be thought that whomsoever
the Republicans nominated, him also
could they elect. But times have
changed. Now they are not SO certain
they can elect anybody. 1t is said by
the wise that if they nominate any can
didate but Mr.. Roosevelt they will be
whipped before the fight begins. Mr..
Taft is evidently being grOOmed for
the race by Mr.. Roosevelt. He was
sent into Ohio during the last CAM
paign and bossism was given the knock
out blow. But this does not argue that
Taft was strengthened or delivered the
blow. 1t does argue the power of
Roosevelt. In the Delaware senatori-
al fight just ended. the President
again "nibbed in" Mr.. Addicks was
sent to the rear, and Mr.. Dupont de-
clared victorious. Mr.. Cortelyou, a
renegade Democrat, Cleveland find,
was the agent provided to perform
this miracle. This again showed the
power of Mr.. Roosevelt.
Recently Mr.. Leslie M. Shaw, an
other of Mr.. Roosevelt's cabinet off.
GERS, took a wetern tour and mixed in
State election. Shaw can mix things.
If he were to look into sweet milk it
would at once turn to vinegar. The
miracle of the water turning to wine
can well nigh find duplicate when
Leslie M. Shaw takes hold of the pO-
litical ladel, and begins stirring the
mess. The people out there, where
just now there is much independence
in voting, and bosses are below par,
began sending enquiries to know what
the President meant. and the result
was that most entangling questions of
Yeracity between Mr.. Shaw and the
President bobbed up. This was not
pressed, and as Mr.. Lodge did not run
to the phone in this instance, the storm
blew over without serious damage.
But all of these things show the effect
of MIR. Roosevelt a mailed hand. He.
and not any of his secretaries, ia the
power. He may put the party banner
in Mr.. Taft's hands in 1908, but he
must do more if this is the man who is
to beat Mr.. Bryan. He must travel
and gather assemblies, he must norate.
he must make that 1926, 900 just given
him for travelling expenses look like
80 cents. He must shout, he must
wave the big stick. he must explode
fire works, he must do the pyrOtech-
mic act, he must bust bronchos after
a style never before seen In a campaign.
Will he do it for Taft? Will he do it
for anybody but Teddy? Echo ans
wers, will he? All. that's the question.
He may love Taft, be may also call him
"Dear Bill, but either he must per-
sOnally campaign with Taft. or take
down the Taft banner and run up the
Roosevelt flag, or there will be little
doing. 'Twould be a hot race. a sim
gular race between him and Bryan.
bryan, the once despised of corpora.
tions, would have In his wake the cor
porate power of the land. Roosevelt
would have in his path the same cor
porate power blocking it, besetting
him in every way. No man today is so
cordially despised by corporations as
he. One magnate is reported as saying,
"a yellow dog is more liked, and could |
run faster" Take the campaign fund |
aud the coercing of employees away
from any Republican nominee and
Sampson in Delilah s hands would not
be more of a weakling. With all these
things against him Bryan once won by
an admitted popular vote. He won by
all fair election methods. He got two
million more votes than the Col iah of
Princeton. Mr.. Roosevelt has made
4 good guess, he has said only one man
q the United States can beat Mr..
BRYAN. He is within one of it. AS !.
lear as be usually gets to PROPOSE
ion. We will for the present let 1t
tand at that.