The Washington herald., 1907-06-04

Richmond, Va. June 3-W J. Bryan.
who addressed a large audience at tho
Young Mems Christian Association yes
terday, this afternoon. and again at tho
Auditorium tonight. was a guest. while
in the city, Of Gov. Swanson at the ex-
ecutive mansion.
In an interview AZ the mansion. in
which he discussed the leading questions
Of the day, including his position on gov
ernment ownership Of railroads. Mr. Bry-
an said that the only condition upon
which he would consider the question OF
again becoming a candidate for the Presi-
dency would be whether he could advance
the cause Of Democracy by becoming a
candidate Mr.. Bryan refused 10 go as
far as to commit himself to a Southern
man for the nomination. saving that the
question is one Of avaIlability-the man
must ft the platform no matter from
what section he comes.
sort of Political Hybrid.
Mr.. Bryan. politically speaking. thinks
that President Roosevelt is something OF
a doctrinal hybrid-part Democrat and
part Republican. Here's the way he
puts it.
con some questions he is quite Demo-
/ cratic; on some questions very un-Demo~
cratic. For instance. he advocates an in
come tax. which the Democratic party has
advocated and which the Republican party
/ has opposed lie advocates the regulation
| Of railroads. which the Democrats have
advocated in three national platforms,
while the Republican party was silent on
! the subject.
He has recently declared himself in
/ favor Of a law authorizing the Interstate
/ Commerce Commission To ascertain the
value Of the railroads Senator La Toilette
/ prepared such an amendment 10 the rate
/ Law, and all OF the Democratic Senator'S
I voted for &c. while all the Republican
Senators except Senator la Toilette.
I voted against IT,
He has prosecuted some OF the trusts.
| This IS Democratic as far as IL goes. but
/ the President does not go far enough.
I -Thc Democrats believe that private
/ monopoly is indefensibla and that all
/ trusts ought % be dissolved and compe-
/ tition restored. The President has advo-
/ Gated the arbitration Of labor difficulties.
/ This the Democrats have demanded in
! campaigns. while the Republicans were
silent on the subject
! "The President has taken a Democratic
/ position in denouncing swollen fortunes.
Some Un-DemOcratic Attitudes.
Now for the other side: He is un-Demo-
cratic in the advocacy Of ship subsidy; Of
an asset currency. Of "a large navy. and
/ he is un-Democratic in his views as TO re-
/ spective spheres of the State and Federal
/ governments. He leans toward centTali-
zation. and tends 10 transfer more au-
thority TO Washington than should bs
Icentered there. His recent speech at In
dianapolis indicates that ne favors an alb
sorption by the Federal government of all
control over railroads. and his position on
the California school question indicated
an ignorina of the right Of the state to
control its own affairs
He is not consistently Democratic or
consistently Republican.
He is rather Hamiltonian than Jeffer-
souian i'm his construction of the Consti-
tuition. but his impulses are good. and his
/ sympathies seem 10 he with the masses
on several questions, in spite of his Lean
/ ing toward Hamiltons theories.
7 am always glad 10 commend him
when I can, for public questions ought 10
be considered on their merits, and not
from a partisan standpoint