Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-07-10
HUMoR OF MUGwUMPs

1t continues to be a curious fact that
while all the rest of the country, Demo-
Gratis and Republicans, have settled it
in their minds that Bryan or Roosevelt
will be the next president, the New
York group of mugwumps revel in the
amusement of trotting out candidates.
A short while ago it was the splendid
Senator Daniel of Virginia. Last week
1t was Jesse R. Grant, who is even now
travelling across country with a secre-
tary, feeling the public pulse" This
week Harper's Weekly presents Judson
Harmon, after having exhausted itself
in a prolonged effort to get public at
tention for Prof. Woodrow Wilson.
And so it goes from week to week, the
mugwumps dancing hither and yon
like fireflies in a Doggy swamp.
1t is all perfectly useless, save and
alone to notify the country that there
are any number of great Democrats of
presidential caliber and that if any
thing should happen to Mr.. Bryan the
party would not be compelled to let
the presidential election go by default.
With the people in their present tenn
per and frame of mind, there are only
two men under particular considera-
ton. If Roosevelt shall be unanimously
renominated and thereby deem it in
cumbent upon himself to again become
a candidate. he will be hard to beat,
no matter whom the Democrats may
nominate. On the other hand, if Roose-
welt should not become a candidate,
Bryan would have practically walk
over.
Such is the apparent situation as 1t
exists today. What may happen no
man can tell. There is not a Repub-
lican in the field for nomination who
arouses the slightest enthusiasm-no,
not even Taft-and with the proba-
bility that one of them may yet have
look is certainly not cheerful. With
the Democrats already lined up for
Bryan, it is practically assured that he
will be the Democratic nominee, and
Roosevelt is the only man who can give
him what the gamblers call "a run for
his money"
In the meantime, of course, we are
all perfectly willing to read all the
laudations of the home and public
lives of Judson Harmon and Senator
Wilson and Hoke Smith-all men of
fine character and Democratic distinc-
ton. The larger they are made to ap-
pear the more powerful they will be
when they take the stump for Bryan.
But isn't it a trifie remarkable that
all the candidates now being trotted out
into public view by the New York
group sing the same song? Senator
Daniel says, Revise the tariff" Jesse
Grant comes out to st. Louis and tells
the newspapers, "Revise the tariff"
Judson Harmon goes little farther
and adds: "And regulate the railroads"
Prof. Wilson says: "Revise the tariff"
But that isn't the paramount issue at
licans want the tariff revised and ex-
pect to get revision without leaving
their own party. Hence there is not
much cause for debate on that propo-
sition.
The paramount issues are: Regulate
the railroads and destroy the unlaw-
full combinations of capital. These are
the leading questions, affirmatively
represented by Bryan and Roosevelt.
All other issues were comparatively in
cidental.
So let our New York mugwump
friends enjoy their solemn distribu-
lions of literature" as long as they
may. 1t will put them in better humor
for enthusiastically supporting Mr..
Bryan next year.