The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-05-15
THE ocALA BANNER AND Mr..
BRYAN

DIlng Oh the ndIlOnal 0euOcTaUc COLI
vention at Chicago in 1896, this pa
per advocated the nomination OF Hon.
". ]. Bryan for president.
Why?
Because it thought that Mr. Bryan,
more than any other member of the
democratic party stood for the embod-
iment of the free silver" propaganda,
which was then the paramount issue
before the country.
1t did not advocate Mr.. Bryan's
nomination because Of its personal
love and loyalty for him, for except
for his record in congress he was I'M
known to the editor of this paper.
Mr.. Bryan's marvellous campaign of
that year and the enthusiasm that ne
aroused was conclusive proof that the
editor of this paper had made no mis-
take in suggesting Mr.. Bryan for the
nomination.
! In 1900 imperialism" was the over
shadOwing issue, and this paper again
urged the nomination of Mr. Bryan
| because it again believed that he,
more than anyone else, was the en-
! bodiment of that issue.
Mr.. Bryan made as splendid a pre-
sentation of that issue as anyone in
the nation could have done, but the
/ tide of battle went against him.
Mr.. Bryan, as well as the Democrat
ic party, has abandoned those is
sues. They belong as much to the
dead and buried past as 'squatter SOW
ereignty" and slavery"
! Mr.. Bryan would be laughed at if
| he should now undertake to galvanize
those issues into new life and force
them to the front as the paramount
questions for settlement in the cam
paign of 1908.
/ Since 1896 and 1900 new questions
have arisen and have forced them
selves to the front
What are those questions?
Principally the trusts and rate regu-
latiOns
Mr.. Bryan has gone up and down
/ the country proclaiming that so fa"
as the settlement of these questions
! concern the country that they are as
safe in the hands of Mr.. Roosevelt
and his wing of the republican party
as they would be in the hands of the
democratic party.
1t is almost foregone conclusion
that Mr.. Taft president Roosevelt
choice, and upon whom his mantle
will falD will be the nominee of the
republican party.
Now. if Mr.. Bryan is made the DEM
ocratic nominee what sort of a figure
will he cut with his praise and ap-
plause of the Roosevelt policies being
! heralded against him?
If these policies are safe in the
keeping of Mr. Roosevelt they will be
just as safe in the keeping OF M
Taft.
So where is Mr.. Bryan going to
draw his strength from? He has alien
ated the Parker and Cleveland wing
of the party. He has alienated Mr.
Watson and the populists. He has
alienated Mr.. Hearst. Why should
the disaffected republicans flock 10
him? Why should they jump out Of
the frying pan into the fire?
With these facts staring the country
in the face, if any democrat proposes
some other name for the democratic
nomination he is at once denounced
as a traitor, not to the democratic
party, but to Mr.. Bryan, who is put
above the party.
When a certain number of demo-
Gratis proposed the name of Governor
Johnson of Minnesota for the nOmina-
ton, the movement was denounced
as a conspiracy Against whom and
against what? Against Mr.. Bryan.
This wing of the party has become so
! intOlerant that no man must have
opinion that is not for Mr.. Bryan.
His interests, and not the party's
must be the first consideration.
1t boots nothing that Governor
Johnson has made no antagOnisms;
that he is likely to draw to him the
disaffected elements in the populist
party and in the republican party;
that he actually showed his capacity
along this line by being elected gov
enOr in a strong republican state.
The cry is that Johnson or any other
candidate would be dislOyal to Mr..
Bryan, and rather than tolerate it de-
feat is preferable
1t is urged that because of the pres
ident'S connection with the Browns