Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-07-15
The Issue Before the Country.
CBoston Transcript

The Issue Before the Country.
Boston Transcript
The nomination of Mr.. Bryan on a
conservative" platform is the OUT
come of the Denver convention mus
far. Speaking with reference TO re-
cent DEVELOPMENTS it is not surprising
in any of it's aspects. Mr.. Bryan Is
the same man in different garments
He has Put on for the occasion those
which. if not the habiliments OF a
s.raight-out conservative, are OF much
less radical cut than in 1886 or l9oO.
We do not know yet whether his con-
servative tailor has quite got his inquire
or the way in which the garments VIII
be worn His personality is so radl-
cal that it will require great self-re-
straint for him to parade the country
gracefully in the guise or disguise OF a
conservative. The platform, as mas
been pointed out in our Denver des-
patches, bears in many points strik-
ing resemblance to that OF the Ike
publicans That is to say, there are
blanks which, if not Identical in IAN
guage. are in sympathy with those on
the same subjects adopted at Chicago.
This is an evident attempt to catch
some of RoOseveltS popularity, ana
when We realize how frequently great
parties try to steal what they consider
the good things of another the depar-
ture is not novel. In fact, the whole
tenor of the proceedings at Denver
has beer an effort to show that Roose-
Welt and Bryan are very much alike,
cspecially Bryan. The country is not
likely, VIC believe, to be misled by
this scheme The net has been spread
not only openly, but with ostentat1on,
by Il fowler accompanied by brass
bands In the loud asides of a thou
sand delegates the public is notified
that the Organized Democracy is going
to be conservative for this campaign
at least. The change is too sudden.
Mr. Bryan as political leader not
without a certain cunning may have
undergone a change Of head, but not
a change of heart. In all the essen
tails of character he is the Same man
as he was in 1896 when he advocated
free silver, and in 1900 when he, for the
second time, crossed weapons with
Mckinley. The people of the United
States, when they come to compare
the two conservative platforms and
the two candidates, will naturally and
properly prefer the conservatism that
is hereditary in policies to the con-
servatiSm adopted at the eleventh hour
by party Wlrich, in an effort to popu-
larize itself, summarily casts aside
the record of its candidate and the
planks of it's platform which in the
last twelve years have given it its
most distinct claim to individuality. =
That Mr.. Bryan's devices may catch
some wandering and uncertain voters
is to be expected, but the great mass of
Independents are likely to realize that
Mr.. Bryan and the Organized
Democracy are the same as they were
in 1896 and again in 1900. Doubtless
special pleas suited to the eXigencies
of the moment will be used to supple
ment the Denver platform, but these
will be put forward in such a way as
to illustrate the Democratic sense of
the necessity of making urgent and in
genious appeals to offset the effect
that the incubus of Organism places
upon the party. The issue is plain
before the people of the country, so
plain that the hastiest of wayfaring
men may read it, and the duty of
right thinking citizens is equally plain
to sustain that great organization
which maintained the honor and in
tegrity of the nation against Bryan in
1896, when he first appeared on the
public stage, not as now quasi-con-
sentative but as a radical of radicals,
the most unprecedented candidate that
ever sought the prpSi6apav