The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1906-09-13
= Figuratively Speaking" ."

came and the weeds grew, and, 10, the
season was ended and the chance of
harvest was gone.
Once upon a-time there was a sea
captain whose ship had gone ashore
upon reef of coral and silver, but he
got her ahoat again, and was turning
her Prov homeward, when he spied
above the distant waves beyond an ice
berg; he mistook this for a whale, and
harpooned it, and in seeking to get it
aboard, his ship went down, and he
with it, into the fathomless depths of
the ocean.
Mr.. Bryan, the republican farmer
needs, Mr.. Bryan, the democratic sea
captain, needs to read anew the handy
old horn book of human nature and
common sense, with its plain tales and
its homely wisdom, even as Abraham
Lincoln read it, when he came to the
head of affairs for the rescue of the
union.
Most things in the world that are
great are simple, and, one thing at
time is an apt saying. In trying far too
much, we often lose all. The political
situation in the United States at this
time is in q fluid state. Parties find
themselves not little at loose ends.
The people have taken the bit in their
mouth, as it were.. The next presiden-
tial election is, as the turfmen phrase
it, "anybody's race,
Old issues have passed away. New
issues are crowding upon the scene.
The popular mind is receptive, the
times are formative. Inevitably, there
is bound to be some confusion as to the
true and the false. But, back of the
incertitude, stand the same array of
forces which have showed themselves
since the framing of the constitution;
the same organic differences which
have separated the voters into parties,
from the time when Hamilton and JEFF
ferson stood forth, the one as the cham
pion of strong federal government,
its powers centralized and its will abso-
lutte, the other as chamion of a govern
ment of limited and delegated powers,
to be exercised within the letter of the
written law, strictly construed.
The incidents alone are altered The
eternal struggle of the many to preserve
the largest area of liberty, consonant
with government, the few to usurp the
functions and opportunities of govern
ment, is Just as vital and as fierce today
as it was when old John Adams was
throwing men into prison and Nick
Biddle using the influence and resour-
ces of the bank to corrupt the elector-
ate and to foster moneyed aristocracy.
1t was the glory of Jefferson that she
did not bite off more than he could
chaw." SO was this the glory Of Jack
son. Mr.. Bryan should turn again to
the history of both. He stands as their
successor in leadership. He is our cap
tain. If we can not unite on him, we
can unite on no one. If we can not elect
him, we can elect no one. Is he not big
enough and broad enough to see that
the country wants the stables cleaned,
not destroyed-that the old house is
yet good enough to live in and must
not be torn down in any event-the
keep and furnishings mostly at fault,
not the walls, or wainscoting, or gener-
al style of architecture-and that what
ever changes we make must take due
regard for habits and customs that may
not be brushed away like cobwebs,
however new the broom and resolute
the hands that ply 1T?
In politics, as in war, success sets
the standard. What good the general,
however he fights and whatever his in
tention, who only loses battles? Mr..
Bryan should not deceive himself. II
is because the mass and body of demo
Gratis believe that it is in him, as in
none other, to win the next presidential
battle, that they rally to him. II it be
lost, through fault of his, that will bt
the end of him as of democracy, anC
we shall see the advent Of an era of ex
tremism such as preceded the war o
secession, the issue, instead of freedom
and slavery, capital and labor, tending
to what climax who shall say?
In the old whig and democratic day
a handful of extremists, seeking tn
abolition of slavery, nor content witt
less, were able to confound the wises
counsels and ultimately to preclpitat
an irrepressible conflict. Can it b
that in our day handful of extremists
seeking socialism, nor content wit
less, shall rob us of the chance 10
j. only of achieving victory but of ar
plying to the abuses of the time RENE
dial as distinguished from revolution
ary agencies Is enlightened states
! manship again to go down before th
II passions of the mob
is The country is certainly in no preser
mood for revolution. The people I
large do not want or need revolution
II They are so pleased by the perfume
! goose grease Theodore Roosevelt hi
] been sticking over the surface Of affai
that many of them who do not discriu
mate are talking about keeping hi
where he is. How much stronger Il