The Washington herald., 1907-03-21
A7-4e-ee-62t

William Jennings Bryan was forty
seven years old last Tuesday. In the
course of speech at Cincinnati he am
nouneed his age. and declared that he
hoped to be active in politics twenty-five
years more; 20 take part in five more
Presidential campaigns. why Mr.. Bryan
should thus set an arbitrary limit upon
his activity in Presidential campaigns We
do not know. For eleven years his par
ticipatlou Ia national politics has been
strenuous, aggressive. influential, and pic
turesque By singular caprice of fate he
has been beaten TO the highest goal of
every patriotic Americans ambition by a
man only two years his senior But this
has not dampened his ardor. dulled his
ambition, or blurred his optimistic out
look upon the future of his country. As
the idolized leader Of a great party in two
campaigns before he reached the age Of
fOrty-one, he received a greater number of
votes than We're ever before or since cast
for an unsuccessful candidate for Presi-
dent. "A very large proportion Of his
c0untrynen respect his opinions have
faith in his judgment, and rely implicitly
on his high sense of honor and patriotism
1t is d coincidence worthy Of note that
when Air. Bryan. with characteristics
franKness. declared at Cincinnati his
purposes in respect of his future participa-
tion in politics. the Hon. Theodore E. Bur
ton at Cleveland spoke his mind freely
regarding the probable activity of Presi-
dent Roosevelt in national affairs After
declaring himself an enthusiastic advo-
cate of the nomination of Secretary Taft
as RO0sevelts successor" which decIaTa-
ton was greeted with "a storm of ap-
plause." Mt Burton "also made il clear
that President Roosevelt win not be a
candidate 10 succeed himself" he added
however that Mr.. Roosevelt might be
looked TO as a national leader again in
1872 1916, or 1920. =" Obviously what Mr.
Burton meant was that the President
might in either of the years named be
again drafted by his party as it's standard
bearer. He is thus setting a limit 10 Mr.
Roosevelt's possible activity in Presi-
dental politics which would remove him
from the field nine years before Mr.
Bryan has announced his purpose to re-
tire.
In other words. it is now Mr. Bryan's
intention 10 withdraw from the hurIy- burly
OF politics for quiet. philosophical contem-
plation at the age of sixty-nine. and. ae-
cording 20 Mr.. Burton. Mr.. Roosevelt
may be expected to seek repose at the age
of siXty-tWO. But why should Mr.. Bryan
continue in the game nine years longer
than A1r. Roosevelt? The slight differ
ence in their ages would not justify
such situation. There is as yet no sign
of the waning Of the physical strength or
intellectual power of either. nor is there
discernible the slightest diminutlon of the
popularity Of either Their hold upon the
minds and hearts of their eountrymen
grows with the years of each. At the
ages suggested for their retirement both
will be at the zenith Of their powers.
Their country might then need their serv-
ices even more than it may in the inter
vening years.
We admit that this view does not offer
an alluring prospect for other ambitious
and worthy American statesmen. but as
We are dealing with fact and not fancy, we
here merely make note of a situation that
contains elements of gratihcation 10 our
felow-countrymen, not to say Of security
TO their cherished institutions.