The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-23
DUEL OF THE MASTERS
IN TWO-MAN CAMPAIGN
Bryan and Roosevelt Fighting the Real Battle While
Taft Takes Minor Place-Enire Coun-
try Is in Doubt
By J. c. WELLIVER.

NEW YORK. Sept 23-This campaign
is taking on the aspect of a duel be-
tween two men; a duel Of intellect and
of personal popularity; a struggle for
the verdict which the country will give
on election day.
IL is unlike other campaigns in that
one Of the two duellsts is a candidate
for President. and the other is not
Theodore Roosevelt and William J.
Bryan have come forward as the two
grea5, dominating figures in the contest
National chairmen have been forgotten,
and the figure Of Mr.. Taft has been
overshadowed by that Of the man be-
hind him.
1t is plain enough now that the effort
to keep the Roosevelt personality out
of the fight was hopeless from the be-
ginning Mr.. Roosevelt was the man
whom his party wanted as a Preslden-
tial nominee. Il finally named another
man when It became assured that
Roosevelt did not want the nomination,
and when it was certain that he be
heved TAFT the right man to carry for
ward his policies. The Taft nomination
was dictated by Roosevelt. and the Taft
cam-aign IS being dominated by Roose-
welt.
A Polite Campaign.
Il was a polite and gentIemanIy, cam
Daign in fits early stages. Mr. Bryan
insisted that ne was the heir 20 ROose-
welt and the predesuned successor to
the task Of carrying those policies to
conclusion Mr. Taft insisted that he
was not only the manifest but the
designated heir.
So everything centered about the fig
ure Of Roosevelt; and II was only TO
be expected that IN due time there
would be departure from the milo man
ners and suave exchanges with which
the hostilities opened.
Mr.. Taft has the backing OF Roosevelt.
but he Is not Roosevelt. Mr.. Bryan has.
at least, the advantage represented by
the fact that he Is lighting for himself;
that he is known 20 the country, and
that there is no chance for misunder-
standing about the authority with which
he speaks.
Mr.. Bryan is all there has been 70
the Democratic campaign to date; he
viii be the entire campaign to .he end
Mr.. Roosevelt has been in much the like
fashion the greater part OF the Repub-
lcan campaign; and II becomes appar-
eut that he will not be a decreasing
figure as the time passes.
Politicians Give Up.
The politicians all give IT up. They
don't know. They refuse 10 commit
themselves. For publication they pre-
tend confidence according to the demands
Of their political affiliations. But pri,
vately they viii tell you that they don't
know anything about #. except that
they arc dead certain nobody knows
anything about it.
I never saw such a strange condition
Of public opinion" said a Republican
national committeeman. a veteran OF hve
rational campaigns. L had a good deal
to do with the fight Of 1892; more with
that o. 1886. and suU more with each
one since I thought I knew something
about gauging the public mind, but ]
don't
THE other day out in my state a
neighbOrS chauffeur was bringing home
an auto at night a half-drunhen man
by the Wayside managed 20 get himself
convinced that the machine tried 20 run
him down. He went 10 the nearest JUS
tee, sWore out a warrant, ard mad the
driver arrested.
My neighbours wife became hystericaI
when she heard Of IL That man had
been in the family's employ for many
years. had always been safe, reliable,
and honest. But ne had been arrested
She was sure he had gone the way OF
all Chauneurs; she had read in the
pLpGAS LllelL Ll4eN were Il AftFlNSN lh-r
anyhow; and now she would have moth
ing but John discharged without waiting
for further developments.
John was discharged, and the good
lady felt rather better She had dis
charged her duty 10 society
Proved Not Guilty.
Then The trial came on. anC it devel-
oped that the chauffeur not only was
not guilty OF anything wrong, but that
in order to avoid injurlng the complain
ant he had taken a dangerous chance
He was dismissed. and the complainant
was severely reprimanded-
That's the way the infamed public
opinion Of the present IS looking upon
public questions Let IT be intimated
that some man OF candidate or party
has been discredItably involved some
where and everybody Is ready 20 believe
il. No need for evidence or trial. Il
must be true, because 'chauffeurs-and
public men-are a bad lot, anyhow as
my neighbOr's wife would put Il.
THE public IS IN a frame OF mind
right now to discharge somebody. But
I am not at all certain that its indigna-
ton viii result in action before the
trial We are going 70 have the trial
in the next six weeks, and it is going
To be an exciting one. If we keep on
as we have been going lately. I don't
know whether the people viii get time
to cool off and think il over before they
90 to vote; and if they don't do that,