The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1907-07-25
Mr.. BRYAN AND
HIS ENEMIES.

III one might Judge from the fepuD-
licans and corporation newspapers
OF the United States-some OF the
latter calling themselves "demo-
crstic"-tbere Is at the present time,
an almost general uprising In the
democratic ranks against the leader
ship OF William j. Bryan. II one
might Judge from a number OF the
democratic newspapers OF the south
ern states the democratic sentiment
Of that section is rapidly crystalzl,
Ing In opposition to Mr.. Bryan,
But the onlooker who based his
Judgment on these poor indications
would be nightly fooled. He would
be fooled because he had not the
ability or inclination to look beneath
the surface OF things; fooled because,
even when viewing only the surface,
he did not distinguish between the
real and the make. believe.
The newspaper campaign OF de-
traction and belittlement that Is be-
ing.wsged against Mr.. Bryan in the
east and north does not voice demo
cratic sentiment. Nine tenths OF II
voices straight out republican senti-
ment through strsight.out republi-
can newspapers, and Is easy to un-
derstand. Republican leaders and
republican newspapers, who must
fight to defeat the democratic nomi.
nee next year, naturally would pre-
fer to have the enemy choose weak
leader; naturally dread, above all
things, the prospect OF the strongest
leader being chosen. The other tenth,
pretending to represent democratic
sentiment, is voiced by Hsrper's
Weekly, the New York Times and
other publications that, ostenta-
tiously democratic, are really con.
trolled by and do the bidding of the
masters ofpiraticsl corporate wealth.
Ii no more reflects genuine demo.
cratic sentiment than does Thomas
F. Ryan In proper person.
As to the southern democratic
leaders and editors, like Henry Wat.
terson, who are involved In this cam
paign, they are leaders without a
following. Claiming to voice public
sentiment they are fast losing the
power even to influence It. Some OF
them iatuously and in ignorance,
others with deliberate design, are
permitting themselves to be used to
pull the corporation chestnuts out
OF the fire. Yet men who know south
ern sentiment know, as Champ Clark
said recently after an extensive lee
ture tour oil the south, that demo-
cratic sentiment for Mr.. Bryan south
OF Mason's and Dixon's line Is more
pronounced than 1t has ever been be.
fore.
The same condition exists In the
north. It Is not because the demo.
cratic party has not other leaders,
who have the democratic confidence
and are worthy OF 1t. But 1t Is be-
cause Mr.. Bryan, as no other public
man of his day, has been tested in
the crucible and been proved pure
gold. Is is because he, more than
any other man in either party, has
been the pioneer and is the apostle
Of the policies that have 80 firm a
hold on the people; because, thanks
to him, the democratic party has
come TO be she greatest positive and
inspi- ug and regenerstive force 10
our l. ,sional life.
Tta Worli-Herald would be the
last o deny the c"rpor"1ion repub-
lican press or the corporation "dem-
ocratic" press the privilege Of resist
lug Mr.. Bryan with might and main;
it would be the last to deny honest
democrats the right to favor some
other true democrat for president.
But It does protest against the
transparent, fiimsy attempt to de-
pict corporation hatred and fear Of
Mr.. Bryan as representative Of an'-
thing else but what It is,-Omaha