The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-11-30

graphcd Mr. Bryan Immediately upon
the publication of the latter sflettor cy.
pressing his willingness TO stand as Il
candidate for the presidency If his par
ty requested him to surprised none Of
the friends of either Mr.. Johnson oi
Mr. Bryan. ] have known both men
we'll and Intimately for many years.
They 10 not agree on all public ques.
tions. In fact. / don't know any tive
men who do. But they do agree on the
fundamental question of making this
government democratic. Mayor John.
soi,Is Il Single Taxer; Mr.. Bryan is not.
Mr.. Bryan stands for certain methods
OF the regulation of public corporations
which Mr.. johnson rejects. In 1896,
when Bryan was urging the free coin
age of silver, Johnson supported him
though not Relieving in free coinnge.
II was not the fcnr OF debaslng the
currency that kept Johnson silent on
this subject. because rs u matter of
fact lie clung TO the Henry George be
LIEF that money should have no lntrin
sic value. hut should be made of paper
unless something cheaper than paper
should be devised. This was the Henry
George idea. II was based on the theo
ly chat money was simply Il tool OF
trade aud that to make tools costly
hurt the Industries in which they were
employed. bryan never acceded to it.
AS a matter Of fact. Mr.. Bryan's ut
ter refusal 10 agree 10 the grecnbacll
proposition for which so many OF his
followers stood afforded nm Illustration
of the essential conservatism of the
man. Nobody has been so bitterly at
tackled as II radical who is at heart so
cautious and SO conservative. He said
ut the Madison Square Garden that
the time might come when it would be
necessary for the government to own
the railroads. Instantly the hostile
newspapers all over the United States
tried TO Put him In q position Of trying
to be q candidate for the presidency
ON the issue of government ownership
OF railroads. lie said in later speech
that the principle of direct legislation
was proper and audiblc one, Today
we find such utterly malignant news
papers as the New York World and
the Washington Post pounding him
day aftef day, us though he had i'll
vented the initiative aud referendum
when the principle OF direct legislation
had its place IN the Democratic ma
tional platform of 1900 ana has now
been made part of the constitution of
the new state of Oklahoma. Now that
MI. Bryan has declared himself il
will he easy TO determine who are his
friends and who are his cncnlee-pcr
hnps IL might he better TO say who are
the friends or the enemies of the Dem
ocratic party, Is there an clement In
the Democratic party which finds its
profit in the election of Republicans?
The question Is one well worth con
slderlng.
Foraker, Cannon & Co.
Nearly every one in Washington be-
lieyes that the president is not merely
Il receptive but an active candidate for
denomination. No third term boOmer
has been repulsed at the White House,
Six months ago senator Jonathan
Bourne cas- the only eminent states
man engaged In this cheerful impprlal.
istlc cause. Now there are ten or
twelve. II one of the first had been re.
buked, perhaps the number would not
have so greatly increased. II has be.
come only too apparent that the surest
way to presidential favor Is to Insist
that when on the night of his inaugu.
ration Mr.. Roosevelt said he never