The morning journal-courier., 1908-10-09
A SIGNIFICANT MEETING.

A SIGNIFICANT MEETING.
 The rift in the political clouds, such Is the country witnessed on Wednes- lay night, when. for the first time in he history of the country, the rival candidates for the presidency of the two big parties not only attended the same banquet and sat at the same ta- ole, but volunteered to exchange greetings and quietly chat with each other, comes as a pleasing change In the monotony of constant political de- pate, insinuation and mud-slinging Our nigh school orators who make the eternal comparison between this coun- try and Rome quite as often as com mencement days come around and are ever on the lookout for substantial argument to show that this republic is not destined soon to experience the downward path which the republic of the Caesars travelled, will probably not see fit to find the material they are looking for in this incident Neverthe- ess 1t should serve them well.
 As long as our political leaders are able to set aside personal sentiments, however strong, and meet on a common platform of American brotherhood the principles of Americansm are safe and sound. The meeting of Mir. Taft and Mr. Bryan at the banquet of the Chi cago Association of Commerce was no out any meaning nor was 1t hand shake such as prize-fghters might give pReh- other just before the final cllnch In an arbitrary struggle for brute su- premacy. Had there been no meaning n their greeting, the two leaders would not have expressed the regret they did fortnight ago, when they had hoped and palnned to meet at a certain west ern hotel and at the last moment found
  they could not because of pressing speaking engagements. Had they not meant to wish the other well, 1t is im- probable that they would have been willing thus to attend the same ban quet. They could easily have prevent ed the meeting. Neither need they have gone out of their way to enter lnto prolonged conversation with each other as they did.
 MT. Bryan was never more right than when at that banquet he arose to say: "I think that it is a good omen when we can lay aside partisan feeling on an occasion like this and, forgetting the things that separate us, remember the things that are more numerous and more important, that unite us in the bonds of a common citizenship" He pr MT Taft might have pointed to the recent conference of governors and mer of brains of all parties, recently called by President Roosevelt to consider matters Of great national import as ar example of this tendency of getting together, which, pleasantly enough, 1. growing. Many other examples vii present themselves to the mind of tn, reader.
 At the Chicago banquet the diners ruriously enough were enabled, ire spective of party allegiances, to joir vigorously in the slogan: "Bill's al right" The time is fast approaching and true Americans may rejoice that i is, when the best "Bill' presented fo office, presidential or other, will b. elected on his own merits, utterly dis regardless of influence or even of par ty allegances. This change for tn better has long been in evidence il the cities. It is beginning to be show in the state elections-thls year in tn hearty support of Governor Hughes fl New York and of Judge Robertson here in Connecticut, by thinking mel of all parties. It is a process whicI is working up from below and 1t ha already touched our national politics May our other national politicians wh need to feel this new influence perhaps more than any, soon show themselve as broad-minded and as truly Ameri cans as have MT, Taft and MT Brya in this little incident.