Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-08-14
OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
HIS OLD TRICKS.

HIS OLD TRICKS.
Mr.. Bryan is up to his old tricks.
His acceptance address is not dis
cussion of the issues that have been
raised in the campaign from the point
of view of statesman, but the same
old appeal to the passion, prejudice,
and sentiment of his hearers. Heard,
the address was without doubt fas-
cinating, entertaining and in a de-
gree winning. Read and analysed,
his address is unconvincing, dema-
gogic, without weight or strength,
and not at all such a presentation
Of national issues as we should ex-
pect from candidate for the presi-
dency.
But Mr.. Bryan is well known in
this country. There are those who
remember clearly the imprisoned
free silver utterances of the campaign
of 1906, when the Republican party
was arraigned as the destroyer of
silver, as the party that shackled the
Iaboring men in chains of gold, and
free and unlimited silver was pictur-
ed as the only remedy. A few more
years of the gold standard, said Mr..
Bryan, and the ruin of the country
would be complete. Labor would be
impoverished, an oligacthy of wealth
would crush an individual under foot.
and calamity and desolation would
come upon the land. t5.
And despite Mr.. Bryan's gloomy
predictions, despite his elequence and
passion, despite his solemn assuran-
ces of disaster, we have the gold
standard firmly established, we have
had an era of prosperity and bust
ness never excelled and seldom
equalled, and we find Mr.. Bryan's is
sue of the campaign of 1896 forgotten
in the ash heap of near-statesman-
ship.
Mr.. Bryan is an orator Of undoubt-
ed fascination, quick, speaker and a
man who reaches conclusions
through his feelings and not through
his Intelligence. He bubbles over
with sentiment and eloquence but he
does not analyze and convince
through logical processes Compare
his address with, the calm, convincing
logical and dispassionate discussion
of Judge Taft and the qualities of
the two men stand out in clear con-
trast. One is logical analysis of
the issues that the people have be-
fore them. The other is the haran-
que Of a special pleader.
There is no question but this is
far from a perfect government. All
finite governments are and ever will
be. The candidate who stands be-
fore the multitude and promises them
perfection is no more and NO less
than a demagogue. In the entire
length and bredth of his acceptance
addressMr. Bryan does not touch up
ON the main questions that are be-
fore the people to decide, except as
the demagogue who harangues the
multitude against the opposition.
Mr.. Bryan understands, as does ev-
cry thinking man, that the issues of
this country today are economic and
not political in any degree. We have
developed more rapidly than any 9TH
er country in the world. We have
Increased our business by leaps and
bounds We have immense corporate
interests, we have developed in the
past ten or dozen years, not be-
cause Of politics, but because of econ
omic necessity. The regulation and
control of these great interests shall
not be endangered, and SO that they
q may not encroueh upon the rights OF
the individual are grave questions
that the Republican party has be
q gun TO solve. The leaders of the Re
publican party have pointed out these
u evils, have inaugurated Legislation
for the proper control of great In
terests that might become menacing
3 and they are carrying on the wori
sane1y, sensib1y and in a statesman
Ike manner Judge Taft points on
the way clearly and wisely, with
out passion or prejudice Mr.. Bryan
harangnes the multitude and rant
against the party that has been frs
and foremost III this country's grea
Development.
Mr. Bryan's solution of the ran