The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-09-09
HEARST IS ON WARPATH
The Underlying Motives of His
Attacks on Mr.. Bryan
WHO REFUSED TO SUPPORT HIM

The New York Editors Privately
Conducted Party Exists Solely for
the Purpose of Revenge on the
Democratic Leader. The Origin
of the Trouble.
Writing of the bitter fight that is
on between William J. Bryan and
William Randolph Hearst, Walter
Wellman, usually well informed up
on political conditions, says in a re-
cent issue of the Chicago Record
Herald: Hearst's knife is reaching
for Bryan's vitals. The war which
this ambitious editor is making, and
is going to make, upon the demo-
cratic candidate promises to provide
one of the most picturesque if not
important features of the presiden-
tial campaign. 1t may be important,
too, for in the event of a close con-
test in such states as New York and
Illinois Hearsts opposition might
prove to be the determining factor.
1t is we'll known that Hearst's war
on Bryan is a mere matter of per-
sonal revenge, of getting even"
Whether or not it is justifiable war
from that standpoint is not for me
to say. Indeed, | have no opinion
on that score; it is out of my juris-
diction, and | simply record the fact
that probably for the first time in our
history a national party has been or
ganized, a platform adopted and a
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
tancied wrongs. | am well aware
Mr. Hearst and his able lieutenants. |
chief among them being the brilliant
Arthur Brisbane, contend that per
sOnal revenge plays but small part !
in the business, that principles are
at stake and all that; but without
any disrespect we may ignore these
claims as mere preteXts, and recur
to the salient. the dominant fact in
the whole affair which is personal
revenge as a personal motive.
Origin of the Trouble.
What is the trouble between Bry-
an 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 it |
must be told again. Four years ago |
Hearst astonished the country by set
ting out to win the democratic presi- |
~ A
was not the well-known man ne is |
now. He had done nothing worth |
while in the field of politics He
was not of presidential size. His as
piratl, was in one sene&z4 - lous
He was 20 -o-att, and the Var-
dict of the country was that the only
capital he had in his ambition to
reach the presidential chair was his
possession of unlimited cheek" and
a large, fat check book
Mr.. Hearst took himself seriously,
however, even if no one else did. He
really believes he had q chance to
win. Considering all the circum-
stances he really did make a surpr.s-
ing showing of strength; and if 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- If Dry
an should now be defeated Hearst
may be his successor in 1912. But
in 1904 his raid on the democracy
and demand that it make him its
standard bearer was somewhat pre-
sumptuous, to say the least Many
of his friends thought so, though
only few had the courage to tell
him. Among those who did not be-
lieve the young editor fairly entitled
to such great honor was Mr. Bryan,
who refused to support Hearst in the
democratic national convention at St
Louis. Though begged to do so he
turned a deaf ear. And his support
and that of his delegation from Ne
braska was given to Senator Cock
rell, of Missouri.
Hearst in Role of Avenger.
From that day to this Hearst has
been on Bryan's trail Either COW
ertly or openly his role has been