The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-04-23
TEDDY AND BRYAN
There Are But Two Men Fit to
Lead Says Graves.
PARTY LINES BUT COBWEBs
Says Roosevelt Should Reach Down
and Pull BILLY" Up or Bryan
Should Boost Teddy.

John Temple Graves of Atlanta. Ga,
speaking at the annual banquet of the
Iriquois club on the Regeneration of
Party" said:
''Party ties in general have never
held so lightly ss today. North and
south, in republican and in democratic
ranks loyalty hangs by hair. The
republican party, formed upon the fed
eralist idea and reborn and prospered
upon the tides of abolition. has pro-
gressed beyond the federalist theory to
privilege, and beyond the anti-slavery
agitation to graft.
''The democratic party has been re-
cruited SO rapidly from the ranks of
the might in trade that its platforms
have truckled, and in the last cam
paign it nominated candidate whose
actual spoken commendation was based
upon the bald and infamous confession.
He was not offensive to the trusts.
''But times have changed and men
have changed with them. The cheap
newspaper and the rural mail delivery
have quilt up the clearest and most
practical democracy in the world.
''The practical citizen-and he is
nine-tenths of the republic-wants
government without regard to names.
"From the stalwart ranks of either
party, from the opposite sides of the
republic, from the rich and finished
east and from the vlrile and militant
west, there have risen two great men
who, more than all the others are pre-
vailing here to dethrone the partisan,
and to split the patriot.
| ''Mr. Bryan is great because in al
his life he has never feared or hesitat
ed to champion his convictions agains
his party and to put them in balanc'
against his personal interest. He il
the first democrat of the world.
"Mrr Roosevelt has grown great be
cause he. too, has risen above the par
tisan. Born and prospered in the
camps of privilege. he came with &
brave heart and an open mind tc
Washington. He followed with ortho
dox in the wake of his party and in the
path of his predecessor. But one day
VIM. r. Hearst flung at his feet ali
array of unanswerable statistics to
prove the iniquity of the trusts. The
challenge rang against crave mans
shield, and Theodore Roosevelt was
never the same man again. He buck
led on his sword and went forth to
war with the merger of those northern
railroads under Hill and Hartman.
| He has never sheathed since, the
blade he barred in our democratic bat
tie against corporate greed and profit.
''There they are--those two great
men-the two greatest men in all the
world. They are American statesmen
and patriots in every pulse. One oil
the other should be the president and
pilot of the people in these tremendous
times. If it was ever true before in
all our history it is true today that
these two men leading. or their actions
have on their lips the power tc
change the face of parties and to re-
generate the republics life. One word
from Bryan would send Roosevelt ON
nipotent to the White House. One
word from Roosevelt would just al
surely make Bryan president and
clothe him with power for reform.
Roosevelt could elect Bryan almost al
easily as Bryan could reelect the pres
ident. Never was such power-nevei
such opportunities-and never such re-
sponsibiity in four American hands
| before"