The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-09-11


commended Taft for "daiing to
prefer to be honest rather than
shrewd-a a statesman rather than
politician" after having long plead !
ed with Mr.. Bryan, apparently with
more gusto than sincerity, to be
shrewd rather than honest--a poll
tician rather than "a statesman
Confessedly one of the ablest
of living controversialists Mr.. Wat
tcrson labors alonga through :,
good part of two columns and' docs
not arrive anywhere. This is due to
no failing powers on his part but
to the impossible nature of his
task. For it is as difficult to rec
)oncile the conflicting advise Mr..
Watterson has given as it would
be TO assert one day that two and
two are four, the. next day that
two and two are seven, and the
third day to prove that both asser-
tibns are true. Out of the long
and fine spun thread of Colonel
Watterson rejoinder the World
Herald selects this single para
graph which alone of its brothers
is pertinent to the discussion and
gives it for what it is worth9
Judge Taft is the secretary of
war. He was the original governor
of the Philippines. He is, it is true,
a live, professed and undefeated
candidate for president. But the
proclaimed object of his speech
making is to cnlighten the country
touching policies of which he Is an
official part. The people go to hear
him not as a Snowman but as a
representative They have more
right than curiosity to see and hear
him. He has, therefore, great draw
ing power though not a particular
ly brilliant platform orator as
Bryan is-and might get big gate
money; but he appears in all the
dignity Of statesman and asks
not penny for his speeches. He
, comes clothed with the Importance
and the majesty of the government
of the United States, the hand of
the president in apostolic success
sion upon his head. This makes a
world of difference between Mr..
Bryan and Judge Taft, and yet
} we think it will prove fatal to
Judge Taft.
Editor Watterson, it will be seen
admits the futility of his own con-
clus;on and points out the danger
OF following his own advice. Fol
F, if Judge Taft s frankness should
indeed "prove fatal" how can he
fail to remember as his eyes arc
glazing in political death, that il
} was Henry Watterson advised him
to be frank! Evidently, the predie.
tion that "this will prove fatal tC
Judge Taft" should have beer
G omitted from the Wattersonian ex
planation, else il is no explanation
at all. Omitting it, we find Colone
Watterson lauding frankness in
: Taft and condemning it in Bryan
for these reasons:
Taft is a public official and Bry.
an but private citizen.
Taft's duty is to enlghten the
people, and we are left to infer
that Bryan's duty lies elsewhere
if not directly opposite.
Taft speaks always "for moth
ing" while Bryan exacts a fee fol
his lectures Of course, fol
: political speeches.
: Taft has chosen by Roosevelt fol
his successor, while there is NJ
"apostolic hand" on Mr.. Bryan,
q head.
! Therefore, candor in Taft is {
: virtue, in Bryan weakness!
, All of which is purest nonsense
of course, and as such exposes how
desperate is the light of the edi
tor of the Courier-Journal AnC
the one service it does in this offic,
is to make clear, as theWOrld-
Herald showed in the beginning
that Colonel Watterson is cap
. tious, hostile and-we regret TO sa,
disingenuous critic of Mr.. Bryan
! and as such should be known t,
y all democrats.
= From the first the World-Heral,
i has never presumed to object t,
= Colonel Watterson's crticizin,
4 Mr.. Bryan to his heart content
: We have only insisted that he stant
! forth bravely and honestly in hi
= true colors. When we are sum
y moned 10 see "what rent tn,
envious Casca made we would onl,
know that it was the envious Cas-
? ca, indeed that struck, and not
loyal friend Omaha World Herald
d BY way of consolation for the higt
= cost of living the Bureau Of Labor al
y Washington assures wage-worker'
u that their pay last year increased
e one-third faster than the prices Of
e their food. To quote its exact fig
d ures, in the principal industries o
g the country the average weekly earn
= ings of each employee in 1906 wer'
l. ,39 per cent. greater than in 1908
It while the retail prices of food fol