Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1908-03-20

He Criticised an lIIustrious Prede-
cesser-Signifcanee of the Nebraska
Democratic PIatform-Refeets Views
Of 5ryan-His Attitude Toward Rail-
roads and Direct Lesislation.
BY WILLIS J. ABBOT.
The growing belief lin Washington
that President Rooseveit>is not merely
a receptive but positive candidate for
denomination has led to some inyesti-
Sdlion of his public utterances when
he was a 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-
ventlon will stampede it for Roosevelt.
In short, there is offered to the Repub-
lican party only a choice between two
men, both of whom it's leaders dislike
equally. If they will not have Taft,
they must take Roosevelt
This matter of 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
time, Mr. Roosevelt said ~
The Jacksonian Democracy was COM
pletely ruled by a machine, of which the
most important cogs were the countless
oficeholders, whom the spoils system had
H.
mercenaries. Besides this such an
organization requires to have as
fits leader and fgurehead a man who
really has a great hold on the people at
large and who yet can be managed by
mlch politicians as possess the requisite
roitness. Jackson liked Van
&iren because the latter had served him
10th personally and poitfcally-indeed
Jackson was incapable of distinguishing
between a political and a personal serv-
Ice. (The members of the kitchen
cabineO used his name and enormous in
fiuence with the masses, coupled with
their own mastery of machine methods
to bring about the New Workers. nomina-
ton.
1t 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 disintegration of that
party and stands as the one serious
blot on the Jackson escutcheon.
President Roosevelt's criticisms OF
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
slsting that he shall nominate his sue
cessor or else he is using Secretary
Taft as stalking horse for himself
There is absolutely no third explana-
tiOn 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 a 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
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
government ownership OF railroads was
not mentioned, because 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. Only men
daciouS opponents of the Democratic
party have ever accused Mr.. Bryan of
any other position than this. That the
D.. question of the initiative and 'referen-
dunn was for the moment ignored sug-
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
n1ights Impede his actions behind. Not
that | mean that Mr.. Bryan is not
believer in direct legislation, but that
evidently he is inclined to confine his
Apl3tf0rfh 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-a postal card The Nebraska plat
form hardly meets this ideal, and per-
baps 1t would be impossible ever to at
tain it. Few people who have neither
sat In 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
tee 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 platform almost as long
as 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 tremendous hit Mr.. Bryan is
q platform in himself. Theodore Roose-
, Welt is a platform, / 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 e. ,lana-
: ton as to what were the views # Ell
Their candidate or what might be ex-
pected in the event Of his election - ~
The Minnesota Situation. -
The Democratic state committee of
. Minnesota has. Endorsed the candidacy,
Of Governor John johnson for the
presidential nomination. 1t is quite
within the province of the committee
to express such an opinion. have al
ways held In this correspondence that
it would be better for the Democratic
party if there should be several names
presented to the Denver convention.
Governor Johnson's name may well be
offered. So also. the name of Mr.. Chan
Ter .of New York might properly be
presented. Senator Culberson's name