Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1908-11-03
THE ELECTION TODAY.

The old-fashioned revivalists pray
ing for a pentacostal outpouring often
used the expression, make this day
long to be remembered and never to
be forgotten" The American people
are today making history that will be
read through the centuries. This cleo
ton marks a crisis in American his
tory. We have come to the parting of
the ways. The question to be settled
is: Shall the American government
continue a free republic-a govern
ment of the people, for the people and
by the people-or shall 1t become an
empire, governed by the most AFRO
CANT and INSCRIPTIONS plutocracy the
world ever saw.
If the ballot today be fire express
sion of the will of the whole people
Bryan and Kern will be elected by an
overwhelming majority. But that II
will be entirely free from intimida'
ton and bribery is not to be expected
The best that we can hope for is that
there will be in the battle-ground
States enough intelligent voters who
can neither be browbeaten nor bought
to give majority of the electoral
votes in favor of free confederation
of sovereign States and against con
solldated empire controlled by collos
sal corporations and used as ma
chine for exploiting the people.
In the present election the issues
are more clearly defined and the lines
more sharply drawn than has been
the case for many years; it, indeed
it was ever so in our history. Both
parties realize this, and consequently
each is putting forth all its strength
anad eXhausting its resources. The
one party appeals to the pocket, to
the lust of gain and to every selfish
motive in human nature. Its chief
weapon Is money. and its efforts are
directed to debauching the voters.
The other party appeals to the intel
ligence, to the heart and to the con
science of the people. Its weapons
are truth, justice and righteousness
as between man and man.
We do not mean to convey the i'm
preston that if Bryan is defeated all
will be lost. While the triumph of
Taft and what he stands for would be
stunning blow to American liberty
and civic righteousness, it will not be
Ialdl. we Snail SUN nave tOuully
worthy of our love and of our best
efforts. If majority of the people
want a Caesar and a servile congress,
il is the duty of every good citizen
to make the best of it. Even des-
potism is better than anarchy.
Nor will defeat today mean the
death of the Democratic party. 1t is
the only party that has survived all
the changes that time has wrought
since the foundation of the govern
ment, and it will live while even a
remnant of our free institutions is
left II has survived the wrecks and
revolutions that have swallowed up its
antagonists because IL stands for
truth, and truth can no more be ami
hilated than God can be dethroned.
1t is defeated sometimes because the
people need to be disciplined in the
severe school of adversely, and If its
enemies win today it will be because
the time for its final triumph has not
yet come.
Let us hope, however, that the
American people will today show
their appreciation of the lofty ideals
presented to them by our noble leader
and his worthy associates and their
contempt for the Establishments of the
enemy. We have faith in God and in
the people, therefore we expect a
great victory today.