Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-01-23

out Will practical pOlltlc1anS in
volved with both factions, there may
be lightning changes in the pro-
gram when found necessary to
achieve their ends.
Which ever faction succeeds and
whoever is nominated by the repub-
licans will leave gaping wounds
that will be hard to heal before elec-
tion time, especially in Ohio and
New York. Thus the chances of the
democrats are apparently improved,
but so much depends upon whether
the party can unite upon a candi-
date, who will not drive away nec-
essary votes to win in the doubtful
states, makes it impossible to look
forward to the result of the cleo
t1on until. at least, the nominations
of both parties have been made.
There is cloud upon the demo-
cratic horizon that will bear watch
ing irrespective of whoever is NOM
mated and that is the evident deter
minatiOn Of Mr.. Hearst to put a
ticket in the field under the head of
the Independent League, and in all
probability to head it himself. In
an open letter to his chief organizer
in the West, published in the New
York Journal on January II, Mr.
Hearst declares that the Independ-
ence League will soon supplant one
of the old parties" AS it is certain
that the league will not supplant
the republican party it must be the
democratic party that Mr.. Hearst
hopes to snow under. To accom-
plish that Mr.. Hearst tells the
league: 1--WE should be conservative
in our methods and absolutely sound
in our measures" and he then states
his position on finance, that the
plan to issue a flexible currency
through the banks is good one, but
declares that financial reforms
must be made with as little disturb
ance of existing conditions as possi-
ble." That moderate plan of reform
may not be hit at Mr.. Bryan, but
Mr.. Hearst further says: "When a
certain reform has been accomplished
we can go on to other reforms, but
it seems to me unwise to jeopardize
the success of the whole movement
by declaring for ultimate reforms,
and putting the party in position
where it will be deprived Of an op-
portunity to put any of it's reforms
into operation until the people are
finally educated up to the necessity
of all such reforms. l take this same
position in regard to tariff revision
and in regard to public ownership.
There Is no use declaring for public
ownership of railways" What can
he mean other than direct opposition
to Bryan's multiplicity of reforms,
and especially the government
ownership of railways. AS no one
the league could nominate for presi-
dent would draw as many votes as
Mr.. Hearst could from the radical
faction of the democratic party, it
would appear that he intends to take
the league nomination for president
and measure swords with Mr.. Bryan.
What would be the result of such
political conditions? Would Mr..
Hearst draw enough votes from Mr..
Bryan in the doubtful states to give
the votes of those states to whoever
the republicans may nominate? In
New York, New Jersey, Indiana and
Illinois, the league is a strong organ
ization and would poll good many
votes, and New York and New Jer-
sey, at least, are necessary for dem
ocratic success. What strength the
league and Mr.. Hearst has in Ohio,
Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri and
other doubtful states is in the womb
of the future. With the radical vote
dipped into by the candidate of the
Independence League in the doubtful
states, it will be necessary for the
democratic candidate to receive re-
publican votes that are dissatisfied
with their own party. Would Mr.
Bryan be likely to receive the votes
of such disgruntled republicans con-
sidering that even Mr.. Hearst de-
clares that Mr.. Bryan's plan of "ulti-
mate reforms" is too radical?
ROBERT MILLER.