The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-06-07

those interests who are opposed to his
denomination and reelection There
is a conservative element which Is
afraid of the consequences of another
! term in Office Of the strenuous presi-
dent. There are maLy northern re-
publicans who believe il would be bet
ter for the country /: the next pres
ident was a democrat. provided he is
the right kind Of a democrat, as be-
tween such democrat and Mr.. Rooss-
welt This class Of republicans are OPP
/ posed 10 the nomination by the DEM
ocrats Of Mr.. Bryan If Mr.. Roosevelt
is to be his opponent. for they know
this would mean Mr.. Roose 1elt's cleo
ton which they would consider the
if Mr.. Roosevelt is again a candidate,
the nomination Of Mr.. Bryan would
assure the election Of the republican
nominee.
We believe that this class of repub-
licans are sincere when they say in
their opinion it would be better for
the democratic party and for the coun-
try for that party to nominate a sound,
conservative democrat from the south
than to choose Mr.. Bfyan or any 9TH
er radical democrat from the north as
the standard bearer. We believe the
country does not want Mr.. Bryan and
we arr convinced that the people will
not elect him or any man Of his po-
litical school as against Mr.. Roosevelt
or any other prominent man of their
i party the republicans may put up. We
do not say that the democrats can
surely elect a southern man for presi-
lent in 1908, but We do honestly be-
lieve that, if the southern democrats
will assert their rights at the next
platform embodying the sound and
fundamental principles of that party
and secure the placing On that plat
form as the party's candidate a south
ern man who stands for those princi-
pies such candidate will secure a larg-
er popular vote and also more votes
in the electoral college than could Mr..
Bryan or any other man placed In
nomination by his faction in the
party.
The Baltimore Sun of last Saturday
contained an editorial declaring that
the Roosevelt party is afraid of this
movement for the nomination of a
southern man by the democrats. Un-
der the heading: "The South in 1893"
it had the following to say which we
think will be of interest to our read
ers:
Our southern contemporaries are
not unconscious of the anxiety in ad-
ministration circles aroused by the
suggestion of a southern democratic
LIN iCAI ycdI
While many of them have not yet
realized the full significance Of this
solicitude, they a no longer blind
themselves to its existence, nor will
they waste time in discovering it's
cause and inspiration.
Meanwhile ShreWd observers are
not wanting who account for the at
titude of certain which
would be glad to be called Roose--
welt organs on the hypothesis hat
these journals expect the current
president to succeed himself, or at
a to be chosen by the REPUBLICAN
national convention for that
To such observers it is entirely OBJ
vious that the newspapers in ques--
ton desire nothing so much as to
nave Mr.. William j. Bryan as the
opponent of their favorite leader. They
thoroughly understand that the dem
ocratic blight of 1896 and 1900 would
in that case descend nee more upon
the party and with additional de-
structiveness. 1t would be plain sail
ing for the republican craft whoever
might be the appointed skipper.
Thus h wise and farseeing coun-
sellOrs of the southern democracy per-
ceive and penetrate the true inward
enss of the advice now shOwered up
on them by the Roosevelt fugIemen.
Thus they are reminded Of the pas
slonate Cassandra and take into their
inner consciousness her famous pro-
phecy TimeO DanaOs. etc, holds as
good today in our modern civilization
as It did thirty centuries or so ago
under the shadow of Mount Ida.
Nothing can be palmer than the
fact hat the southern democracv's
volunteer friend9 and advisers are
~dreadfully a~pprehensive lest the south
may set up its own candidate next
year, ard with a simple old fashioned
declaration for free institutions and
the hallowed principles of genuine
| constitutional government. join honest
issue with the michievous sociaIistic
propaganda which now threatens uk
with an ultimate choice between anar-
III and ~despotisn. And if any one i'm
AGNES that the south, hic still
maintains a serene and undefled An
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