The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-03-20
IT IS CUT AND DRIED.
President Commits Error For Which
He Criticised an Illustrious Prede-
cessor. Significance Of the Nebras-
ka Democratic Platform. Reflects
Views of Bryan. His Attitude To-
ward Railroads.
ward Railroads.
BY WILLIS J. ABBOT.

q receptive but positive candidate for
denomination has led to some inveSti-
CATION Of his public utterances when
he was literary man rather than a
politician. Theoretically Mr.. Roosevelt
is trying to name his successor. The
threat is openly made that If Mr.. Taft
shall not be named to succeed him the
presidential party in the Chicago con-
vention will stampede it for Roosevelt.
In short, there is offered to the Repub-
1ican party only choice between two
men, both of whom its leaders dislike
equally. If they will not have Taft.
they must take Roosevelt.
This matter of a president selecting
his successor and perpetuating his
dynasty was very accurately described
by Theodore Roosevelt in his Life OF
Benton" Writing then of Andrew
Jackson, who did absolutely dictate his
successor and wrecked his party for a
tine, Mr.. Roosevelt said:
The Jackscnan Democracy was COM
pletely ruled by machine, of which the
most important cogs were the countless
officcholders. whom the spoils system had
already converted into band Of political
rnercenaries. Besides this. such an
organization requires to have as
its leader and figurehead man who
really has a great hold on the people at
large, and who yet can be managed by
such politicians as possess the requisite
adroitness. Jackson liked Van
Buren, because the latter had served him
both personally and politically-indeed.
Jackson was incapable Of distinguishing
between a political and a personal serv-
ice - (The members of the kitchen
cabinet) used his name and enormous in
iuence with the masses. coupled with
.heir own mastery Of machine methods.
70 Bring about the New Workers. nomina-
ton.
It is perfectly true that Van Buren
was elected. 1t is equally true that
the action of President Jackson in
forcing him upon an unwilling party
resulted in the disintegratiop of that
party and stands as the one serious
blot on the Jackson escutcheon.
President Roosevelt's criticisms o.
Jackson are well founded, but today
he is doing the same thing which he
criticised his more illustrious predeces-
sor for having done. Either he is in
sisting that he shall nominate his sue
cessor or else he is using Secretary
Taft as a stalking horse for himself.
There is absolutely no third explana-
ton Of his conduct. Upon one Of the
horns of. this dilemma he must be i'm
.paled.
The Nebraska Convention.
OF course Washington was not sur
prised by the action Of the Democratic
state convention in Nebraska in in
dorsing Mr.. Bryan for the presidency
and adopting platform largely die
tated by him. But public men here are
interested in the platform itself and in
speculations as to its significance. 1t is
a Bryan platform clearly. Certain
things which Mr.. Bryan has been
charged with insisting upon do not ap
pear in it. No one was surprised that
gov arnment ownership Of railroads was
not mentioned. becau-e Mr.. Bryan's at
titude has always been that govern
ment regulation should be submitted
to the most complete and final tests
before the alternative Of public owner
ship should be appealed to. Cnly men
dacious opponents Of the Democratic
party have ever accused Mr.. Bryan OF
any other position than this. That the
question of the initiative and referen-
dun was for the moment ignored SuS-
gests that in going into the coming
campaign Mr.. Bryan is likely to adopt
the tactics set down some centuries
ago by one julius Caesar. who in his
commentaries says that when he went
into battle he left everything which
might impede his actions behind. Not
that I mean that Mr.. Bryan is not q
believer in direct legislation, but that
evidently he is inclined to confine his
platform and his utterances to those
things on which his party is unit.
Some months ago Mr.. Bryan remark
ed to me that he would like to see a
national platform that could be printed
on q postal card. The Nebraska plat
form hardly meets this ideal, and per
haps it would be impossible ever to at
tain it. Few people who have neither
sat in a committee on resolutions OF
either great national party nor had op-
portunity to talk with those who have
been members Of that committee have
any idea Of the enormous number Of
suggestions presented to the commit
tey and the pressure brought to bear
to get these suggestions incorporated
in the platform. Yet it is probably
true that the first convention which
would break away from the establish
ed custom Of q platform almost rs long
SIS presidents message and adopt one
dealing only with fundamental princi-
pies, leaving it to the candidate to ex-
pand upon them if he saw fit, would
make a tremendous hit Mr.. Bryan is
8 platform in himself. Theodore Roose-
Welt is q platform. I doubt whether
there are any qualified voters in the
United States who if these two men
should be pitted against each Other
would look to the formally adopted
platform Of either party for explana-
ton as to what were the views Of Ell
ther candidate or what might be ex-
pected in the event Of his election.
The Minnesota Situation.
The Democratic state committee of
nr;.,.notn has indnrSed the landida =