Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1908-04-01
CRISIS rs HERE
De mocracy Must Face to Front
or Go to Wall

|
Ashland, has addressed the follow
ing card to the Richmond Times
Dispatch:
"The Times.Dispatoh. as
view the situation, In idieuIinG
Mr., Thomas opposition to send
ing Senator Daniel to the mex
De mooratio convention makes 4
serious mistake.
1.-THE country 10 In the midst oil
a crisis. The Brysn campaign OF
1896 and the Roosevelt admins
trstion have convinced the eonn.
Try overwhelmingly that some,
thing is radically wrong. Tn,
country, i. g., the voters Of all
parties, 10 determined that these
wrongs shall be righted; that this
country shall remain both repub-
lie and democracy. Without The
Bryan Roosevelt leadership of the
last few years We should be far on
the way toward oligarchy.
"This is year when a third
party may ruin the Democrats.
Hearst is a power in this country,
decry him as We may. Bryan,
notwithstanding his occasional
errors of judgement, stands for a
body of doctrines which has the
future with it; Hearst likewise;
but Hearst would go to far and
wreck a great deal that is beth
good and desirable in our insSitu-
tons. Bryan, in comparison with
Hearst is conservative; and con.
sentative reform, but reform with
al, 10 what oil countries must have
and without which parties cannot
exist. The world must go forward.
"Now, Virginia's share IN the
forward movement depends upon
her attitude at Denver. Shall
Virginia play the Punic role of
sending covert enemies of progres-
sive ideas to the convention2 This
tas been done before, and by Vir-
ginia Democrats. In 1874 Van
Buren, was unquestionably the alb
lest available candidate of the
party; a majority of the delegates
were instructed for him. And the
great majority of Virginia Demo-
Gratis favored his nomination. Yet
a group of Virginians, under the
leadership OF the then most un-
scrupulous politician in the coun.
try. Robert j. Walker of Mississir-
pi, arranged to get the two-third
rule, which had not become the
policy OF any party in the country,
adopted. By this rule one-third
of the delegates could kill off all
whom they disliked. In fact,
minority of the convention of 1874
said that the two greatest men of
the party, Van Buren, and Cal.
houn, should not be the standard
bearers of Democracy. The re-
suit was the loss OF both Van Blu.
rem and Calhoun In the counsel of
the Polk administrations fatal
weakness. The civil war was a
direct result of the policy of POlk's
admihistration-of the plan of
killing off the big men of party.
snow, Senator Daniel is an open
and avowed opponent of Bryan. If
he goes to Denver he cannot fully
represent Virginia. Moreover, he is
himself one of those candidates
whom the New York Democratic
,rgans-the Sun, the World and |
h arper's Weekly-mainly j. p.
Morgan papers-hope to use TO de-
eat Bryan quite in the same way
Van Buren, and Calhoun were de-
'eated in 1874. Was it not the New
York SIN which launched Daniels
,oom2 Was it not Harper's Week.
y, formerly a dysd-in.the. wool
Republican organ, that foated the
,oom short season. And is it not
1ulitzer's World which is now
moving heaven and earth for
somebody besides. Pryan'2
~ am sure the:Times. Dispatch
lOes not desire to become convert
nemy to Bryan oil any one else.
And it would, as Mr.. Thomas says.
,e out of keeping with John w.
Daniels historic career to under
axe to represent the Virginia De-
nocracy at Denver when he utterly
the choice Of the party |
or President. And further, all
men know it is dangerous
o play with fire. The masses Of
he p4ople-and historical students
specially-believe that Bryan was
.stually the choice Of the country
n 1896. He polled more votes in
900 than any other Democrat had
,olled, and more by nearly 1900,
100 than Parker received in 1904.
lie represents the progressive, but
lot destructive, forces of reform,
nd he is still the most popular
nan, after Roosevelt, in the coun-
ry. To defeat this popular demand.
o use an unnatural 'two.thirds
ule't to kill off the leaders Of the
line, would be playing with fire.
This 10. as has already been said,
Democratic country; and democra,
les are terrible when terribly
1t would certainly be'un-
worthy of Virginia as an intensely
Democratic State to undertake to
Iefeat the choice of the Democratic
masses of the country, and the
l.