The Republican journal., 1906-09-13

The general CONSENSUS OF Democratic
opjnion seems to be that in advocating
government ownership of railroads in
his Madison Square Garden speech
BRYAN has put his foot in it, and is
no longer to be regarded as Presiden-
tial possibility What Henry Water
son thinks of il was told in advance,
when in answer to a prediction that on
landing MI Bryan would declare for
the government ownership of railroads,
ne said:
'sThe election of a Democratic Presi-
dent in 190S-all things pointing to the
nomination of MI. Bryan as the candi-
date-will depend upon the situation
as It is, and not through the invoking
of new issues or the breaking of fresh
ground. The issue of the government
ownership of the railways would en-
was wrought 10y the abolition of slav-
posal to elect the chief magistrate of
issue into the next presidential cam
it. We have no idea that Mr.. Bryan
meditates anything of the kind. That
he should do SO would imply a hopeless
though he has shown himself some
thing of a dreamer, it is inconcelvable
that he should fly wholly III the face of
both common sense and the true phil
osophy Of popular government"
1t appears that such leading and in
fuential Democrats AS Culberson
Bailey, John Sharp Williams, and even
Tom Johnson, begged the Nebraskan
not to commit himself to such a policy.
but all in vain. After the speech one
of the most prominent Democrats in
New York city said: "Do you know
what Bryan did last night? In the
utterance of fifty words on railroads he
consigned himself from the leadership
OF great party to the political scrap
heap" At the National Capital the
general administration view was thus
expressed: Hes the same old Bryan,
little less radical, perhaps, as he him.
self declares, but just about the same
as he was in 1896 and 1900 He pre-
sents one new idea-government own
ership of railroads. There is nothing
in the speech to inspire confidence in
Bryan among the sound, conservative
interests of the country"
In the South the policy advocated by
Bryan is very unpopular, as its adoption
would abolish the Jim Crow cars, and
Mr.. Bryan had been warned by John
Sharp Williams and others that the ad-
vocacy of this principle would cost him
the support of many Southern States.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, very able
and very conservative Democratic
newspaper, treats of the speech edi-
torially under the caption of Organs
Bombshell' 1t says that Bryan seems
to have no doubt of his power to carry
his party with him at whatever pace he
may set; but that
He is mistaken He is flourishing a
whip to the crack of which the party
will not respond He has served an
ultimatum the answer to which will be
sufficiently emphatic. There are those
to whom he can look with confidence
for an affirmative reply. To a man, the
Populists will acquiesce, not grudging-
ly, but with enthusiasm. To man,
the old Middle of the Readers will hail
his proposition with delight. Ditto of
every notability who found congenial
companionship in the Blood to the
TASTES who have one unfailing specific
for every political infirmity under the
sun.
In another editorial the Eagle says of
Bryan: His defeat is accomplished in
advance of his nomination"