New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-14

Private" John Allen once tried 10 explain Ills
partisan status by saying that he was Still n
Democrat but temporarily out of reasons there
"forp Mr. Allen lived and 1Ourished as Il states
man when the Democratic party represented n
more or less compact body Of opinion. although
one group in il bitterly fought another group on
the issue OF making 20 cents worth of silver
pass current as the equal Of gold dollar In
1895 and 1900 those Democrats who did not he
Iieve IN n clipped coinage were temporarily out
of reasons" for supporting the Democratic ma
tionaI ticket But Democrats of all classes find
themselves in this year of grace in an even more
distressing predicament. They are not only out
of reasons" for being Democrats but are begin
ming TO wonder whether such thing as the De
mOcracy any longer exists On the eve OF the three
sided and three-minded celebration in this city
OF the birthday of the founder of the party even
so able and thoroughly grounded an evangel Of
JeffersOnianism as The New York World" asks
anXiously: what is DemOcratF
The Hon William J. Bryan had less than
year ago the nearly unanimous support of the
Democratic remnant for the Presidential NOM
ination in 1905 The South was for him. the
East was for him and the West was for him.
He was TO make the race as the partys most
conservative radical and most radical conserva-
tive Yet within year his radical supporters
have come TO think Of him as n milk and water
back number. and his conservative friends have
largely abandoned him as a visionary and an
icOnoclast. Mr.. Bryans proposal that the gov
eminent shall take over and operate all the in
strumentalities of interstate commerce is about
all that is vital in current Democratic doctrine
On that he has elected TO stand or fall. and,
though he hedges from time to time by saying
that government ownership is an ultimate" so
luton of the problem and that such ownership
1Ir-f4
is clear that he is prepared 10 urge the policy of
state operation as against the policy of state
regulation and control of railroads remaining
under private ownership. He has time and
again recorded his conviction that the Repub
lcan programme of regulation will prove Il fail
ure He is bound, therefore 10 oppose that pro-
gramme with something better" than regua-
ton.
1t is apparent that Eastern and Southern
Democrats do not take kindly 10 the state social
ism preached by Mr.. Bryan. No prominent
Southern leader has yet openly Endorsed the
Madison Square Garden 'ultimatum.' or even
the later modification of IT, that the government
begin mOdestly by building acquiring one
transcOntinental trunk line with northern and
southern cross connection. Most of the Southern
leaders want TO nominate Mr.. Bryan ON a plat
form which entirely ignores his new paramount"
issue. They are satisfied with the pending ex-
pertinent with regulation, and their feeling was
effectively, If somewhat extravagantiy, expressed
at Chattanooga the other evening by the Hon.
John Temple Graves. If Mr.. Bryan is TO be
recognized as a Democrat and entitled 10 undIs-
puted Democratic leadership. more than half OF
the voters who call themselves Democrats ap-
parently will be 'out of reasons for supporting
him in 1908 The hunt for reasons on the part
OF these voters will continue TO repay the inter-
est of impartial lockers on.