The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-09-12
soME very SER AsIc q = 2 q
EsEA an * III MQcE Rats
BY Al pEMocRATlc PA sEa
~, Il X, ys;,.i5 a, t,,t 40 IA.

~ " ST 81 q.
Fii1s New York Times sage:
Mr.. Bryan viii never be Presid lent
Of the United States. II Is very doubt
fun. il Is growing every day more
doubtful. whether he viii be nominated
~ the Democrats in 1908. Il he gets
amy mihatlon at all IT is more ltlSely
to come to him from some rump 81
radicalism than from the old organt-
zation. Hets about the most dlsgruat-
ing leader the party ever had. He has
a, yeritabIe genius for discord, division,
faction, dispersion. and defeat He
was clay in the hands OF the silver
potters in 1896. but in 1900 be had de-
veloped the nominating spirit, and he
dominated the st. Louis Conventions
forcing the fatal doctrine OF free silver
into the platform against the protest
Iof the party Again in 1904 he be
ldeyi1ed the convention at s.. Louis TO
such good purpose that, although
personally he is supposed To have etY-
en- Judge Parker loyal support, his
followers 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 stop to az
that. His public ownership speech
was like bomb exploded in The vttals
Of the Democracy. It rent and man
gled 1t, and the discovered members
and fragments have not even yet al!
fallen to the ground.
All hope OF restored union and.
solid front has been abandoned, The
democrats Of the East AMI South at
once noted their dissent. Last winter
leading Republicans Of Washington
were alarmed about the next House.
Republican Senator's and members
openly expressed the belief that the
Democrats would secure majority.
since Bryan spoke there is no more
chance OF the Democrats securing
majority i'll the next House of Repre-.
sentatives than there is of their elect
ing majority of the British House OF
Commons or OF the Russian Duma-
When William j. Bryan ascends the
platform to proclaim campaign issues
and declare party principles Repub.
licans exult and Democrats despair;
1t strikes us that this is a pretty
grave defeat in party leader.
Although against much evidence and
under difficulty, we still cling to the
belief that Mr.. Bryan is, as politicians
lgo. sincere. His shortage is mental
not moral His mind is hopelessly
commonplacc, and its range Is rather
narrowly limited. Expedfency rather
than insight seems to guide his choice
lof issues, but whether it may be, his
Judgment is uniformly bad. He lacks
1.-The power to ana1yze his own theories
and the Imagination to picture forth
their working consequences. He series
upon the new nostrum with all the
avidfty and enthusiasm OF club OF
boy Socialists planning an ideal COM
munity. He was apparently quite una
ware that several States in this coun-
try have had a costly and disastrous
experience in owning railroads. 1t did
not occur to him that the Southern
Democrats would of necessity declare
their hostility to public ownership
policy that must put a stop to their
Fuse of separate cars for negroes. 1t
was only as an afterthought that he
perceived the trreconcilahle conflict
between his vast scheme of centralt-
zation and the century-old Democratic
doctrine of the rights and the sover-
,etgnty OF States.
Senator Daniel of Virginia openly
declares his dissent from the Bryan
doctrines. Il do not believe the pso-
pie of this country nor the Democratic
Party" he says. 'is in favor of Gov
eminent ownership of railroads,
Further declarations of this nature
from Southern Democratic leaders may
be expected. Senator Bailey, notably.
lis understood 10 disagree altogether
with Mr.. Bryan. The Democrats OF
the East would reject public owner
ship and would reject Mr.. Bryan II
he shhuld be presented on that issue
two years hence Signs are not want
ling, indeed, that the East is tired OF
Mr.. Bryan The demonstration in his
hOnOT mere Tue otHSI uaJ' !" P"1N' -
numbers and enthusiasm, fell far be-
low expectation. 1t was an affair
rather of his "home folks" and of Wis
Iiting delegations. New York exhib-
tied little interest in 1t.
1nasmuch as 1t is altogether GER
tain that il Mr., Bryan should be NOM
mated in 1908 he would be Disaster
ously defeated, and since the condem-
nation of his public ownership policy
has been immedite, widespread, and
ontspoken in the Democracy, why
should the party any longer waste it's