The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-08-14

" the Taft speech of acceptance
Was unique for It's length and compre-
hen .voness. the Bryan speech mus
also De classed as unique. but for an
other reason. when before has Dem
ocratc candidate for the presidency
lreplied 10 notification committee by
taking his text from Republican
president and a Republican nominee,
aud quoting IL with approval of ITS
sentiment
And yet that Is Just what William
Jennings Bryan does. After some
lplatNudes concerning the binding ma
ture of political platforms. he prefaces
his argument with an excerpt from
one Of President ROosevelt's messages
dealing with the evils of predatory
wealth. and follows it with anothel
from the acceptance speech OF Mr..
TAFT 10 the same effect. These ex-
cerpts are not quoted with the purpose
OF crlticsng or attacking them. but
with the Nebraskan's consent to the
principles they lay down.
Thus az he very outset Bryan prac
tically surrenders the fight He admits
that the atitude of the present ad.
mlnigraton. as represented by its
cher executive, is In line with all that
he himself advocates as to fundameht-
al conviction, and comedies as much
to Mr. Taft, the man who. in case of
Republican success, will follow Mr..
Roosevelt.
!. A.. true that Mr.. Bryan follows his
quotation by an attack upon Republi
cansm. bat Il Is an attack already
robbsi of its force by the preliminary
adm ons he Is compelled to make
His method of critNSm IS one that
has 'ong been practlced by those who
find themselves Obliged by circum-
stances to attack an impregnable po-
lsu'0n Reviewing Republican legisla-
tlon Of the past eight years, he asks
over and over again, Why has nothing
been done on this or that matter? and
lmcanwhlle calmly ignores all that has
been done.
The attempt TO show that Republi-
cans have neglected their duty to the
people in the hNdling of these great
questions arising out of the nations
rapid development falls pitifully fiat
d is an easy matter 10 hold up a lofty
theoretical ideal of what should be un-
der a political millennium; but practi-
cal politicians are forever confronted
By conditions. not theories They mus
face things as they are and make the
best of situations always, if honest,
c,inglng to the IDEAL but working to-
ward It by processes that are gradual
in achievement rather than revolu-
Ionary.
This Is exactly what Republicanism
has been doing Under its regime the
country has made gigantic strides.
With expansion of trade and the
adoption OF new methods of business.
legitimate in themselves. but, Ike all
other things, open 10 abuse, have arls.
en- problems that have called for the
treatment of statesmen. They have
received This treatment. A statesman
IS one who sees a question in its
broadest perspective. not merely a.
single side of IL. and having thus gain
ed a comprehensive view of the mat
ter requiring attention. sets himself
to meet its demands in such a manner
as to conserve all proper interests and
al the same time secure the greatest
good TO the greatest number.
In this sense Bryan Is not a states
man. He grasps a single angle OF a
big question. He fancies he sees a
and Immediately he Is before
the public in advocacy of the new nos
trum. All Efforts to Show him that
there are other angles Is futile. He Is
obsessed by one idea, and that he