The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1907-12-19
sTRENGTH OF BRYAN.

STRENGTH OF BRYAN
Tho ganeral impression Is that Mr.. (
Bryans chances OF being elecUeo
president are quite as good as were
rho chances of that valiant knight,
Don Quixote OF subJugatlhg Cne
windmill. But it is easy to nnder
stand the possible strength OF MIN
who has so long been known as 'the
naerless leader. Those who desplse
the man and make light OF his can
didacy seem to ignore the TACT that
his present domination OF the presl-
Dental field, within the lines OF the
democratic party, is very remark
ahle performance. No other man IN
our history has captured thlro
presidential nomination by one OF
the great parties after having been
twice nominated and twice defeateo
already. Mr.. Bryan could not score
so surprising feat, even In the as
organized democratic party OF the
present period, were 1T not that DIS
renewed ascendency correspondent
with strong sentiment favorable TO
him in the party's rank and bile.
Attempts to explain away his present
ascendeny on other grounds are
futile. The point for republicans
seriously to consider is whether this
revival of Bryan in his own party
does not signify also parallel re-
yival of Bryan In the country-which
is equivalent to asking whether he IS
not the most popular democrat with
the rank and dle Of Republicans that
the country contains?
There are certain tendencies OF the
5 hour that may easily make Mr.. bry-
Q an very formidable next summer and
Il autumn against any of the possible
. republican candidates. 1t is well
u known that not since 1892 has the
a political power of wage labor inclined
heavily on the democratic side ina
! presidential contest. In that year
J. Labor" as policital force, embit-
- tered perhaps by the scenes at Home
IL stead, gave the finishing hourishes te
IS Mr.. Cleveland's victory. In 1896
IS 1900 and 1904, this political force
u whatever its actual composition may
ID be, was kept we'll In hand and II
81 beautiful humor 10y the republican
IL managers. In 1896, the menace Il
5, wages of the 50-cent dollar; In 1900
~ Mr.. Hanna's full dinner pail" II
III 1904, President Roosevelt's interven
tion in the anthracite coal strik
~ were effective in maintaining cordia
% relations between the republican
10 party and the labor vote. The drift
w now seems to he 10 the other direC
on ton. We have the financial PAM
" and the consequent industrial de
as preston, such as IL may be, as a pri
IL mary condition; and, besides, ther
ei is in the east organized laboi's an
mostly toward Secretary Taft an
'o' Speaker Cannon, and, In the ia
10 west, organized labor's hatred {
v President Roosevelt on account {
,""' his denunciation Of the leaders {
ie the Western Federation of Miners {
~ undesirable citizens and now b
ne dispatch of federal troops to Golt
Vi field, New, before an actual milital
10 activity had begun. From the view
w point OF organized labor, the use I
w the federal troops In Goldfeld is
)" serve mainly the purpose of IL
miue.ownerS to make that place
,'e nonunion camp. Incidents OF tn
character seem to be accumulatin
's and their possible political effect u
" on the next presidential campaign
~" not likely to be ignored by observe
49,. of the unfolding situation.
w Mr.. Bryan will certainly think
~ chances are Frightening II perm
'no nent Roosevelt antagonism to Go
' efuor Hughes may be counted up,
~. to supplement whatever else there
w., ~" in the developments of the time
:. strengthen his hopes. The noti
that ANY republican could be
=. Bryan" may not prove so teuable
. 1t appears. With their strongs
~ candidate, The republicans shot
49,, win in spite OF whatever handle
=, the year may impose upon them.
- try to win with candidate OF doul
!, 80 ful popular strength, however, ml
lie regarded as a needless invitati
. to disaster. Springfield, Mass, |
publican.