The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-15
BRYAN NO BUGABOO
NEBRASKAN NO LONGER CONSID-
 FRED DANGEROUS.
Hard Struggle to C0me---ChairmaH Hitchcock, Realizing There VIII Re No WalI<away, Pre-
 paFen for Battle.

Re No WaIkaway, Pre-
 pares for Battle.
 Walter Wellman's New York SpeciaI 10
 The Record Herald.
 We are proceeding on the theory that we have hard fight before us, that there is danger of Taft's defeat, and that we must work hard to make sure of winning.
 This Is the principle upon which Chairman Hitchcock is planning his campaign. He Is not making the mistake of underestimating his Toe. He is not like Wall Street, living in a fools paradise. He knows he has a battle before him, and he Is getting ready for 1t. He does not intend 10 be guilty of that most egregious or blunders, overconfidence. In the end he expects to win. But he Is going to work just as if he feared defeat
 MT. Hitchcock has told Judge Taft and Charles P. Taft, and tomorrow will tell President Roosevelt, that in his Judgment this Presidential cam paign is to be no easy thing, no walk away. There are both signs Of strength and of weakness. and as yet there is no assurance as to which Is to turn out the stronger factor.
 Tn my oninion. MT. Hitchcock Is a wise young man to plan his work just as if he feared 1t was to be desper- ate case. It may or may not prove to be desperate. It is now too early to tell. But having had opportunity to talk with men from all parts Of the country, I offer few suggestions as to the trend of public opinion. Al most every man I talk with be ne Democrat or Republican, admits Bryan is stronger than he was ever before. Almost every one comments on ths fact that few men are now afraid or Bryan. Tn this one factor alone he has made progress enough to give him at least the right to hope. When he ran for President in 1896 and 1900 very large part of the public looked
 upon him as a dangerous man lie was regarded as a revolutionary, all most a Socialist, and by some was chased as an anarchist. Level-head- ed sincere men believed implicitly that if Bryan were to get into the White House the country would quickly go to the devil.
 Ii is now almost universally admit ted that this fear has passed away. Almost no one now regards Bryan as an actual menace. few may stlil do as a LII i1bAff DNh many. In other words, what Bryan has achieved or time and circumstances and the work of others have achieved for him, is that he has been admitted by the country into the Presidential class He is not now denounced as unit to be President, as beyond the pale, as an adventurer or upstart. He has won his place in the American na- ton as a man of brains and character
 Ia longer an outcast. He Is now to be judged on his merits. on his promises, princl' ples and method, just as MT Tart or any other man is judged.
 When he ran before a large part or the nation condemned him in advance. His name was anathematized. He was the political black sheep from whom no pure, white wool could possibly be expected Now only very few, the most extreme or narrow, so look upon him. Tn my judgment this change of the public point of view is one of the greatest psychological factors Tn the campaign. and find most men and speaking Of me saine thing.
 Of course, this is not to be taken as meaning that there no longer exists a large section of the American people who believe Taft much better fitted in every way for the Presidency than Bryan, and who also believe that the election of Bryan would De bad thing for the country and for It's pros perity. There Is such a class. and very large one; nor are all of them either. The feeilng among business men Is still very strong that in some way or other the success of Bryan would be bad for Not a few Democrats Will quietly vote for Taft on this line of reasoning.
 But the opposition to Bryan placed on this ground has nothing sinister about It. It is not a violent, unrea- soning opposition, as in former cam naIgns No one is very much excited about it. The great majority of men who are against Bryan on this score, which may be regarded as the modt- fed and tempered traditional view. ad- init Bryan's triumph would not be likely to spell disaster or ruin. They do not lift their hands in horror at the mention of his name, as they did in 1896 and 1900. They simply be- lieye they have good reasons for pre- ferring the other man and for having a little more confidence in him.
 From all parts of the country comes the opinion that this Is not going to be a very bitter or exciting campaign. It may be close. I have good reason for believing that in few weeks the Republicans will have a scare on. That is, they will suddenly become alarmed over the progress Bryan Is making and will not be able to con- ceal their anxiety. Already there are signs of the coming of such scare. After it has reached It's climax. the Republicans will gradually begin feel ing better. and by october will have recovered their normal composure and On account of the belief which is likely soon to gain currency that Bryan has a fair chance, after all, the masses are sure to wake up and show genuine interest in the cam paign.
 But all the travellers and observers with whom I have talked agreed that at no time is there likely to be any thing like bitterness. the depth of feeling or the hysteria and fright we have seen in former Presidential strug gles. The progress Bryan has made from a dangerous outsider into the class with the best of our public men of thought, action and leadership Is one large contributing cause of this national serenity.