The Irish standard., 1908-02-15
SEEING THE LIGHT.


Democratic papers that have been
working day and night to bring out a
candidate in opposition to Bryan arc
one by one coming to the conclusion
which was easily arrived at months
ago by those who looked upon political
conditions as they were and not as
parent months ago that Bryan would
have little or no opposition in the Dem
YER convention. 1t is becoming more
likely every day that no other name
will be presented. In connection with
the Democratic presidential nomination
a political writer has this to say about
Governor Johnson:
John A. Johnson was not born yes
terday. He is too well versed in the
game Of politics to lend himself to the
schemes of men who have no regard for
him at all. Who would use him to af-
feet their own ends and then toss MN
aside. He will not be a cats paw. The
time to head off Bryan has gone by.
The anti Bryan leaders are still ready
to make a fight il they could bring
Johnson. Harmon, Gray, Woodrow
Wilson and others out as candidates.
but they know the chances are slim.
hundreds of influential Democrats in
every state who do not believe Bryan
can be elected are for him just the
same. because they are afraid to be
anything else"
We have given Governor johnson
credit for being Il good politician, as
well as a good official. and it was diff
ficult to entertain the opinion at any
time that he would be led astray by
those who were urging him to enter tho
presidential race. The sources from
which the loudcst cries for him came
were alone sufficient to put him on his
guard. The Journal writer says that
the time to head off Bryan has gone
by. He is partly right and partly
wrong. 1t certainly has gone by for
there never was time when he could
have been headed off.
Bryan has the Democratic party
"buffaloed" because the rank and flc
of the Democratic party today are in
tensely in earnest. They cannot be
scared by telling them that Bryan c;nl-
not be elected. nor can they be IL!
away from Bryan by promises that
there is another who can lead them in
to the promised land" 1t is literally
true that the great mass of Democrat
ic voters would sooner go down to de-
feat with Bryan than to victory with
another. and it is to the credit Of the
party that it feels that way. Mr.. Bry-
an was the first public man in the
United States to enlist heart and soul
in the struggle which is now going on
Almost ten years before Theodore
Roosevelt enlisted in the fight in which
he is now engaged, Mr.. Bryan sounded
the warning. He did so at a time when
it was unpopular to do so. BY so doing
he enlisted not only the opposition OF
the entire Republican party. but the
opposition Of a large and influential
portion of the Democratic party. Since
that time he has never taken one s,cr
backward. He has never compromised
in any particular. BY disagrceing will,
prominent leaders in his own party he
insured his own defeat. but he sowcc
the seeds of the future harvest. HI
met the questions of the day not By
tricks but by courage. He may have
been wrong at times on some ques.
tions but he never deceived the peo.
pie. He sacrificed his hopes and as
pirations to his principles. ana that I.
why the Democratic masses would
sooner follow Bryan to defeat than AN.
other to victory.
These are not the days for party
leaders to meet in some hotel lobby OF