The Washington herald., 1908-02-02

/ Ten years ago American politics would
/ have been thought upside down If mes
sage from a Republican President had
/ been greeted with a chorus of approval
/ from Democratic newspapers and Demo-
cratic statesmen. Yet It appears TO be a
normal thing nowadays. Ten thousand
copies are ordered printed for distribution
+ on motion Of a Democratic Senator, and
/ in the House Democratic cheers punctu-
ate its reading. Mr. Bryan warmly COM
mends the message as brave and timely.
joins with the President in his call to
arms, and urges that the Democrats in
Congress ally themselves with the RoOse-
Welt Republicans in an effort to pass at
this session the measures recommended
by Mr.. Roosevelt. There is, Of course
method and purpose IN all this, since it
serves "A political end by driving the
wedge farther into the split between the
radical and conservative wings of the
Republican party. So also. does il ac-
centuate the differences of opinion in the
Democratic ranks, but il gives Mr.. Bryan
opportunity to say TO the conservatives of
his own party, Am l as dangerous an
innovator as you think me. when IA Re
platform on which I have been standing
for twelve years2' II Roosevelt is right
assuredly Bryan has not been wrong all
these years And the Republican party is
under the political necessity of indOrsing
Roosevelt It is a hard saying for the
old-liue Republican.
There Is more than a merely partisan
significance in the essential identity Of
the reforms for which Mr. Roosevelt and
AR Bryan stand. The Democratic party
is no more responsible than the Repubi-
can Tor bringing them to the front Demo-
cratic leaders, with the exception of Mir.
Bryan and his friends, have long lodged
the issues that are now foremost, and
some of them are trying TO dodge them
now. No longer ago than 1904 the Demo-
cratic party nominated and voted for
Presidential candidate antinathetic 10
everything for which Roosevelt and Bryan
stand. He was overwhelmed by the rising
radical tide which even then was al
tracted to the Rough Rider The last
few years have witnessed q moral and
political awakening affecting men Of all
parties and all creeds Long years Of
agitation, brought 20 "a head by startling
revelations of political corruption and
financial and industrial crimes. produced
their natural fruiti0n in what MT Taft
has called a "quickening of the public
conscience. demand for the remedy Of
abuses and Tor "a higher standard Of busi-
ness integrity" As the public conscience
knows no party lines, nor do crime and
corruption. the demand for reform has
not taken on q partisan aspect. II comes
up from tie masses of the people, and
not from the ignorant masses. but from
an intelligent electorate II represents
matured convictions and settled purposes.
not the clamor Of the hour This cx-
plains the great and uudiminished p0pu-
larity Of both Roosevelt and Bryan-twO
reformers who. though widely differing
in temperament and In many of their
political ideals. have strangely reached
Ia common ground of opposition TO the
forces of predatory wealth and corrupt
politics. with the bulk of the American
people back of them.
Neither party can hope to win by stand
ing out against the reform movement. It
Is obvious enough that the Roosevelt poll
Cies viii be forced down the throat of the
Republican party and swallowed with
sincerity or hypocrisy. as the case may
be. AS 10 the Democrats, they would do
well TO ponder Mr.. Bryan's advice that
the conservatives cannot afford TO reject
the overturas that are made by those
whom they denCunce as reformers" lest
the dam DE- bL.ided too high and give
way, with sEsat Damage, under the pres
sure of the radical tide
As the investigation proceeds doubtless