Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-06-13
In the Shadow of CIunders.


New York Evening Post: Senator
Rayner would have his party abandon
chimerical plans of government owner
ship, or what not, and throw it's
strength mainly into an assault upon a
tariff system which is obsolete,
oppressive, and corrupt. He also
urges opposition to subsidies, the
withstanding Of executive usurpation,
and the preservation and invigOra-
ting of the powers of the states. In
word, Mr.. Rayner wishes to return to
recognized Democratic doctrines,
which he would vivify and make di-
rectly applicable to present condi-
tiOns.
What chance is there of this being
done? Very little, we think that any
cool observer must admit. The truth
is that the Democratic party is still in
the shadow of it's recent blunders. 1t
remains under the domination of
Bryan. Now, under his auspices
what likelihood is there Of Senator
Rayner's programme being adopted?
The tariff issue Bryan has never cared
for since he became a candidate. He
said nothing about it in 1896. He
practically ignored it in 1900. All his
tnclinatiOns are for the vague and
dreamy in politics. A specific out
rage, like the protective tariff, he has
not the patience to take up in detail,
make himself master Of the argument,
and point the way to redress. 1t is so
much easier to speculate about how
lovely it would be if the government
owned the railroads. Mr.. Bryan's
recent letter on that subject, setting
forth his various happy thought about
the way in which Estate roads" could
use the federal trunk lines" was
really appalling reading. 1t betrayed
in him an exceedingly disquieting
emotional readiness to venture into a
field of which he is wholly ignorant.
One found no grasp of the subject
And that is the disheartening lack in
Mr., Bryan throughout. He has al
most a genius for putting himself in
touch with popular sentiment and as
pirations, but he has no ideas, hews
out no path by the axe of intellectual
labor, but INDUCES simply in warm
and benevolent wishes without one
close thought how they may be reaIi-
ri Il
gives him an unrivalled equipment as
an agitatOr, you do not find a states
man undeanerth. What we get from
Mr.. Bryan is the explosion, but not
the bullet.
To support Mr.. Bryan for the presi-
dency on the issue of opposition to
executive usurpatiOn would be bad
joke. He is by nature dictatorial and
intolerant. If he were president, we
should see such a tyrannical control
of the party from the White house as
sons day. Thus far his habit of
riding over those who do not agree
with him has been given free play
only as the leader of party in OPP
positions; as chief of party in power,
he would dictate and ostracise with
fresh vigor and new disrupting effect
Nor can there be doubt in what lines
he would exert his driving power.
Humdurm duties of Office and routine
craftsmanship would not sit we'll with
his speculative nature. Having keyed
up popular expectation by windy
promises, he would be compelled,
even If not inclined, to attempt spec
tacular fulfllment. In a word, the
contrast between Bryan, or a Bryan
lied party, md the measured. sober,
yet constructive and aggressive plan
of Democratic campaign which Sena-
tor Rayner outlines, could not be
more complete. One eats the other up.