The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-07-28
THE MIDDLE WEST.

vention and before the Donver meeting
there was widely circulated through the
East the report Of a political upheaval In the
middle West. In New England, New York
and New Jersey the local Democrat con-
ceded with utmost f~rankness that Mr..
Bryan had no chance there; but invariably
he FASTENED to add:
Look out for the middle West. Watch
the Roosevelt Radical States. They are on
IRE for Bryan. Mr.. Bryan 10 going to DO
the heir to the Republican Hurrah In the
middle West. Bryan can win without the
aid Of the East
After q brief trip through Wisconsin,
Iowa. Nebraska and Kansas, four States
thoroughly representative Of this Roosevelt
radical group. 1t Is now possible to deal with
some d~ehniteness with this Eastern i'm
preston Of Western strength for Bryan.
II 10 also possible to analyze q few OF the
various tendencies Of the present moment
In this country. always recognizing the TACT
that this is a July review dealing with July
conditions.
At the outset Mr.. Bryan's chance in the
West has been represented along the At
lantic eeaboard as based upon a tremendous
Increase in popularity. There is, more
over. an element Of truth In this claim
which must not be overlooked in estimating
the situation as 1t exists. To get any notion
Of the actual attitude Of the middle West
toward Mr.. Bryan II is necessary to lay aside
every prejudice founded upon Eastern
experience or point Of view. II MIR. Bryan
i @ dead hand In the East. In Boston.
Hartford. Albany and Trenton, he Is quite
as surely q live wire In Milwaukee. Des
Moines, Omaha and Topeka.
The citizen Of Manhattan will probably
never quite understand the popularity Of
Bird g. Coler in Brooklyn. although he has
been forced to conoede the existence Of his
popularity more than once In the same
way that Brooklyn olings to its Coler the
middle West cherishes it's Bryan. Next
to President Roosevelt Mr.. Bryan Is. after
all. the most popular man in this region
beyond the Mississippi, popular personally
even with Republicans. After all. In a
sense the middle West takes q manifest
satisfaction In re garding Mr.. Bryan as its
representative citizen.
1t Is true also 80 far as one can find by
inquiry that Mr.. Bryan is moro popular in
tho middle West to-day than ever before.
His C~hautauqua lectures. his speeches in
the churches. his trips through these States.
the national reoo gnition that has come to
him, all these things have patiently strength
ened him. The middle West believes that
its Bryan has grown 1t also likes him
better because he IL now no longer tho
champion Of any 80 to Il heresy. AL
the rest Of Mr.. Bryan's present pack
Of patent medicine for political diseases
has already been peddled by Mr.. Rooso-
welt. Mr.. La Toilette and Mr.. Cummins In
this region.
II being true. therefore. that Mr.. Bryan
Ii popular in the middle West, It II clear
also that this popularity will mean votes.
but the chief difficulty seems to b that 1t
will not mean enough votes. The general
notion out here is that Mr.. Bryan will get
more Democratic votes than ever before.
practically the party strength. But no
where Ii there to be found the slightest
notion that this popularity, which is per-
sonal above all else, Is going to carry any
largo number Of Republicans away from
their moorings. II will operate to increase
his vote. Republicans and Democrats
alike agree to this. but in Iowa, for example.
where this popularity operates most strik-
ingiy, the Democrats quite as frankly as
the Republicans agree Mr.. Bryan cannot
win In November.
There is q second basis for the claims Of
q Bryan tidal wave In the middle West. It
Ia everywhere asserted that q tremendous
wave OF radicalism Is sweeping through
the Mississippi Valley. and that Mr.. Bryan
ls to be the beneficiary Of this wave now
that President Roosevelt 10 no longer q
candidate. Here again there 10 q sound
premise, however fallsoious the oonolu-
sion. The middle West is radical. 1t
hates the 'standpatter.' 1t hates him with
all the venom that the average strap hanger
In New York has for Mr.. Belmont. There
is something Of the notion Of a moral cru
SADIE In radicalism out here which begins
by being impressive and often ends by
being grotesque. Mr.. Bryan Is entirely in
accord with this spirit Of radicalism and
accepted as such by the radicals.
Had the Republican party nominated
any one but President Roosevelt's choice
Cannon. Foraker or Hughes, for example
this radical sentiment would have crystal
lised about Mr.. Bryan inevitably and the
Republican radicals would have knitted the
Republican candidate just v the Bryan
radicals out Judge Parker four years ago.
but the Chicago convention did not do this.
On the contrary 1t carried out the Presi-
dents will. 1t Is Mr.. Roosevelt. moreover.
and not Mr.. Bryan, who Is the 'one and
indivisible' radical. the grand master Of
the Bang the Corporation Lodge In the
West. Mr.. Taft. accordingly, 10 regarded
as the agent selected by the President to
carry out my polioies.'
So long as It 10 .Teddy's Taft In the
middle West there Is not the slightest reason
to suppose that the radicals will not stay
at home. Out here the dominant factions
Of the Republican party are radical in
power and In performance. while the Demo-
orats are az most only radical In platform
and promise. Above all. Mr.. Roosevelt Ia
still the transoendent luminsry In the radi-
cal constellation Of the middle West. the
star TO which sx the progressive wagons
are .hitched.'
There IL one other phase In the situation
In the middle West which has been twisted
TO give comfort to oredulous Democrats.
This is the existence Of fractional fights
among the Republicans. There 10 10 fight
In Nebraska, but there are local Repub-
lican disturbances In Iowa. Kansas and
uyt.aoooln TUo ~ theaa however maj