Semi-weekly herald., 1908-08-27
BITTER FIGHT IS SEEN
IN HEARST-BRYAk WAR
BY Walter Wellman.

The war which this ambitious editor |
is making, and is going to make. upon |
the Democratic candidates promises
to provide one of the most picturesque
If not important features of the presi- |
dental campaign. 1t may be impor- |
tant, too, for in the event Of close |
contest in such states as New York |
and Illinois Hearst's opposition might |
easily prove to be the determining |
factor.
1t is we'll known that Hearsts war
on Bryan is a mere matter Of personal
revenge, Of getting even" Whether
OF not 1t is a justifiable war from tnat
standpoint is not for me to say. In
deed. have no opinion on that score;
1t is out of my Jurisdiction. and I sim
ply record the fact that probably for
the first time in our history national
party has been organized, a platform
adopted and presidential ticket put
in the field for no other purpose than
working out the wish of one individual
to have revenge upon another for real
or fancied wrongs. / am well aware
Mr.. Hearst and his able lieutenants,
! chief among them being the brilliant
Arthur Brisbane, contend that person
| al revenge plays but a small part in
the business, that principles are at
disrespect we may ignore these claims
as mere pretexts, and recur to the sal
lent, the dominant fact in the whole af
fair, which is personal revenge as a
personal motive.
| What Is the trouble between Bryan
and Hearst Why this yearning Of one
for the hearts blood of the other?
Almost every one knows the story.
But to put the record straight 1t must
be told again. Four years ago Hearst
astonished the country by setting out
to win the Democratic presidential
nomination. At that time he was not
the well-known man he is now. He
had done nothing worth while in the
field Of politics. He was not OF presi-
Dental size. His aspiration was in
one sense ridiculous. He was vulgar
upstart, and the verdict of the country
was that the only capital he had In his
ambition to reach the chair of Wash
of unlimited cheek" and large, fat
check book.
Mr.. Hearst took himself seriously
however, even If no one else did. He
really believes he had chance to
win. Considering all the circumstances
he really did make a surprising show.
ing of strength; and II he keeps on
growing during the next four years
as he has grown in the past four. there
Is no telling what his ambition may
bring him to. II Bryan should now be
defeated, Hearst may be his successor
in 1912. But in 1904, his raid on the
Democracy and his demand that It
make him It's standard bearer, was
somewhat presumptous, to say the
least Many Of his friends thought so,
though only few had the courage to
tell him. Among those who did not
believe the young editor fairly entitled
to such great honor was Mr. Bryan.
Whether he spoke frankly or not to
his friend, do not know. But Bryan
refused to support Hearst In the Dem
ocratic national convention at st.
Louis. Though begged to do SO, he
turned deaf ear. And his support
and that of his delegation from Ne
braska was given to Senator Cockrell
of Missouri.
From that day to this Hearst has
been on Bryan's trail. Either covertly
or openly his role has been that of the
avenger. This explains the organiza.
tion of the new party. the name of
which have for the moment forgot
ten. 1t explains why Hearst has a
ticket OF his own in the field-to en-.
able him to give Taft the best Of It
and Bryan the worst of 1t in his news.
papers without actually boiling the
Democratic nomination. And four
years hence the general belief is that
Hearst plans going back into the Dem.
ocratic ranks as an aspirant for the
presidential nomination with his own
new party, whatever its name is.
thrown In as peace offering.
| The Hearst claim is that he is Who'll.
ly justified In seeking Bryan's scalp,
because Bryan is an migrate and a
traitor-that is, an migrate and traitor
to him. w. r. Hearst. As the cam.
paign warns up we are sure to hear
much more of this. We are promised
some exceedingly interesting passages
between the distinguished editor of
several daily papers and the former
ditor OF the Commoner. In fact, II
would not be at all surprising II the
Hearst effort to prove Bryan an in.
crate and Bryan's effort to defend him.
self from these gentle allegations were
to give the country great deal of
information and amusement between
now and November.
1t is pretty well understood that the
Hearst plan Of campaign is to write