Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-07-11

of patronage; patronage like money
: in SO far as it has been used at all in
this preconvention campaign, has been
used almost altogether to defeat him.
Nearly all the powerful newspapers of
both parties have carried on a system
attic campaign against him. Every
influence that is usually great enough
to make or unmake popular leaders,
has been used to unmake him. Yet
in convention of a thousand dele
gates, almos! 500 are either personally
in favor of his nomination, as their
constituents are. or have been in
strueted for it by their constituents.
In other words, the masses of the DEM
ocratic party have decided in advance
of the convention, and from their own
1 volition, that their presidential candi-
date shall be this man-this man with
out money beyond the modest income
he earns with his own labor without
political power other than the conf
dence the common people repose in
him, without influential friends sur
rounded by powerful enemies.
With no political capital whatever
except his abilities, his fundamental
democracy, his independence and cour-
age and the confidence of the masses
Iof his party which he has won by CIV
ing them his own, William J. Bryan
has mastered the political situation
and mastered it for his cause regard
less of himself.
What Bryan has thus done within
his party he can do for his party.
The same principles will be at stake
in his campaign against plutocracy
now triumphant in the republican
party, as in his campaign against
lplutocracy now aborted in the demo
cratic party.
And his appeal will be to the same
kind of people. AS the masses OF
the democratic party are outraged by
the aggressions of plutocracy, so are
the masses of the republican party
and they are ripe for revolt This
election will not depend upon the ia
vors of corporations nor be influenced
by the recommendations of privileged
persons or classes. Support from
those sources will be regarded by the
voters as suspicious upon their face
With William J. Bryan as the can
, didate of the unprivileged classes o!
the men who live in the sweat of theil
faces, of the American democracy
against William H. Taft as the candi
date of the privileged classes. of the
m MI, 4f lth
mems faces. of the American arts
: tocracy-with these two men as OPP
: posing leaders in contest between
Iaristocracy and democracy, party line:
Twill be shattered, new alignments viii
be made, and democracy will win the
election if it can win l. at all.
D But more important than the win
: ming of the election is making it wortl
winning. Wrong often wins, but it
victories are evanescent. Wickednes
often gains point, but it gains Onl!
t to lose. The victories of peoples o
f individuals, of parties or of leaders
are those in which they win for wha
= is right.
AS an individual. William j. Bryal
: has steadily won victories of tina
o kind. A man of ideals, he has beef
true to his ideals. In devotion t
IL them he has grown and Strengthens
in all the true qualities of grea
l. leadership.
eI AS the party leader he will wi
victories for his party, in so far a
a hie parfy makes his ideals democrati
4 and it's devotion to them as faithful
II as Jefferson's was. as Lincoln's wa:
E ard as his own has been. In hir
% the people have recognized integrity
ability, enthusiasm, candor, and de
IS mocracy. He has become to them a
u he is in fact, Bryan the Genuine; an
Ii by that sign shall his party conquer