The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1908-09-04
Bryan's Growing Prospects
Recognized

AS has been known from tn,
J first, Mr.. Bryan's political sup
port has been regarded as weak.
est in the Eastern States, while
his greatest strength is in the
West and Sonth. Not much ir
the way of enthusiastic advocacy
of his candidacy was expected in
New England and New York
and statements were freely made
to that effect, but it is now be
coming so plain that a great
change is taking place that some
of the most famous journals ir
that quarter, which opposed him
now are outspoken, like the New
York World, in his defense,
while others like the New York
Herald, which ridiculed his can.
didacy and laughed to scorn his
pertinacity in presenting him.
self for a third time before the
American people, now confess
that there has been an astonish.
| ing change in his favor, and the
prospects of his election are nc
longer to be laughed at. Says
the New York Herald on the sub.
ject in a recnt issue, commenting
on an utterance by Colonel Henry
Watterson, of the Bryan Press
Advisory Committee:
Like a true Kentuckian Col.
Watterson has hit the bulls-eye.
Not only has Mr.. Bryan a good
fighting chance now, but, as the
Colonel very significantly re-
marks, there is,every probability
that the chance will grow strong
er as the campaign develops.
Perhaps in respect of mental
equipment, experience of public
affairs and freedom from doc
trinaire fads Mr.. Taft is entitled
to be considered the canidate for
the presidency, but the history
of the United States is there to
prove that it is not always the
best man who wins in a presid-
entail election. The great men
among our presidents can be
counted on the fingers of one
hand. The others have been
mediocrities, but they have filled
the position without discredit to
themselves, and certainly with
out doing any great damage to
the country.
There is no reason to suppose
that Mr.. Bryan, if elected would
prove less satisfactory than these
latter. No one now fears that
his election would provoke an in
dustrial, commercial and finan-
cial cataclysm. AS a matter of
fact his speech of acceptance has
strengthened rather than shaken
public confidence. Mr.. Bryan
has evidently meIlowed in retire
ment. While Mr.. Roosevelt has
been growing steadily more rad
ical in his attitude toward econ
omic questions, the Nebraskan
has been steadily growing more
conservative and prudent. 1t is
plain that he has completely re-
coverd from his violent attack Of
free silvertis and no longer pre-
scribes State ownership of every
thing as a remedy for all ecoon-
mic ailments.
| Moreover, he is undisputably
the idol Of an imposing section
of the American electorate. Ev-
en- those Democrats who repudi-
ated emphatically Mr.. Bryan's
most extravagant theories have
been forced to admit that his in
fluence with the rank and file Of
the party is unrivaled and undi-
minished, and have recognized
that truth by again enrolling for
service under his banner.
The personal fitness of Mr..
Taft, in fact, is very evenly bal
anced by the personal magnetism
Of Mr.. Bryan.
The question who will win is
rendered still more difficult to
answer by the fact that there is
no paramount issud" in the
present presidential campaign.
If the party platforms were to
be surreptittiously transposed no.