The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-27
Voice 81 the p ople.
i,rynn ana harm d =.
Iitor OF 1'l1e Times Dispat ch

EDITOR OF Tho Times. Dispa tch. - g3
sir.-slnee the nonlination, q Mr. 4.
nya npessss, e nS sha t
Gle Of the "Sage of Eaoputs.S have
now m opportunity to become more
graceful rs we'll as more useful by
With evefts s. whiei they 3 are - ionsel
able to modify. The true office OF q
sane conservatism is not to block pro.
gress altogether, but to establish pros
sss FL any osher
stinatc Inertia Is n futile proposition,
Mr.. Bryan has the Impulse OF progress
developed 70 such g degree tllat lie ne !, Is
cal Il MI. 1sooseveit Is held in the saina
category, but the radicalism OF both
these great men to-day VII BE th !.
selves to the inevitable. since ! t Is prac :
ttically certain that even their own
children Will not be their disciples:
for one welcome his continued promi-
nence before the whole people and be.
fore the Civilized world as q matter or
merely his politleal prospects, Or ever
political aspirants. The moral force
OF that personality is incalculable.
public life OF individual character, and
whether he Is elected or defeated IN
his present aspiration for the presi-
ydcncy, he has been already elected IN
q very high and important sense III
the impress which Ills magnificent man.
hood has made upon the tides Of time"
Considered in its effect upon the for
tunes of the party, his Leadership Is
inferior 70 no other. The reaction 70
notable experiment IT must be u
short memory indeed that can be so
oblivious of that catdclysln as TO IN
Nite another End a similar catasti ophe.
l am surprised at intellisenl gentle ,n,.s.,
fails to efface himself In the interest
OF Governor Johnson. for instance.
How can he? Mr.. Johnson Is visible
to small community OF his own Kin
folk. but II Mr.. Bryan should yacat I.
his place Gan Impossible thing for him
to do. even II he wished ~ and Mr..
Johnson Ai,ould he put there, another
impossible thing would be for the
whole country to. see him. even With
the aid of powerful searchlight; a a, 5000 90
size. not at all. Neither Is
Williams, nor Folk at present. There
is an Impression that Folk has the
elements Of growth, and
rise, IL he can, from the attorney to the
statesman.
These are the best we have. and none
OF them are comparable to Mr.. Bryan
in any respect. Repubiica nism has de-.
veloped in the person OF Mr.. Roosevelt
a tremendous moral force. and this as
much as, or possibly more than. his
policies, Is the explanation OF his hold
upon the people. We have his count
erpart In Mr.. Bryan alone. and this
moral force Of the man Is
the most valuable asset OF the party
and of the country. To ignore that as
set, and to go UP against the itoose-
welt popularity with nobody-in-p arti-
cular, would be like setting nice lit
tie summer breeze against an eiemen-
tai whirlwind.
a whole people in motion is as ir
resistible as the tides. Gentlemen fan
to understand the times who sigh for
return OF the good old Jeffersonian
days. New and momentous issues have
arisen, and we must meet them. Nox
populi demands, and with no uncer-
tain sound. at least, a tentative APP
proach toward economic equality. They
have not fixed upon any definition or
anybody's dictum of economic quality,
but they have begun to realize with
clearness and kcenness that
heretofore. and up to the present time.
a very precious heritage has been
sacrificed to the lethargy Of a nation
ana til. ii i;e;.a sss OF :ts exploiters-
BENJAMIN C. MOOM4AW.