The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-09-04

abOlitionist.
The worst Of it is that the rich are
over-ready to make common cause
with the predatory rich. They do not
discriminate. Mr.. Roosevelt has gone
much farther in sOcialistic extremism
than Mr.. Bryan ever Went. Yet those
who abuse the observation-disclosures
Bryan as a sOcialist-do not so char
acterize Roosevelt; and they will vote
for Taft because they think that. Ted
dy Bear slowed safely away in the
wilds of Africa, big Bill" and Sun
ny jim" with Aldrich in the senate
and Cannon in the house, will soon
have the elephant where they want
him; the truth being that, for all the
chatter about trustism and rebates, a
spectacular fine, which will never be
collected, remains the single trophy.
Two or three years ago the country
stood aghast before the exposures pre-
cipitated by the insurance scandals.
and all good men were yowing that
they would not stop until the Augean
stables should be cleaned. The trac-
ton scandals followed. Not a meth
cd has been altered. Not a culprit is
in Jail. But the business of the coun-
try" requires that there shall be no
further agitation, and in order to Sc
cure peace and quiet We must elect
Taft, who swears by Roosevelt, and
Sherman, who swears by Roosevelt,
each of them finding him "a good
enough Morgan until after the cleo
ton" Is this anything other than
perfidy and dishonor, and, if it should
succeed, will not the conditions to be
ultimately reformed be so grievous as
to transcend the agencies of states
men, and to become the sport and prey
of the mob? Is not, for example, the
other end of prOtectionism anarchy?
Once upon a time we had a famous
governor of Kentucky. old Charles
Scott. the Indian fighter, who used to
say that when things grow bad they
are hard to mend, but that when they
get damned bad they just cut loose
and mend themselves"
Mr.. Bryan has suffered from over
praise as much as from over-abuse.
Yet never an abusive word that is
said of Mr.. Bryan but was said of Mr..
Jefferson. One need only turn back
to the republican newspapers of 1876
to learn what a peril to patriotism and
property Mr.. Tilden was. No honest
interest has any more to fear from
the democratic party today. led by
Mr.. Bryan, than it had to fear when
the party was led by Mr.. Tilden and
by Mr. Cleveland, each of whom en-
cOuntered the same line Of argufica-
ton which is now used by republicans
to defend the accretions of nearly fit
ty years, expressed for the most part
in Offices and abuses. The public ser
vice is afflicted with bone-felon. Shall
the finger be lanced and cured, or
shall We allow the disease to continue
to burrow below the surface until
nothing will save the body polite
but the amputatiOn of the hand?
This is the problem for the voters
to consider. Forbidden by the organs
of the rich-making common cause
with the predatory rich-to see the
truth and to consider the actualities
of the political situatiOn-huddled
too often in camps by short-sighted
employers, who tell them their wages
depend upon how they vOte-the out
look for sound opinions and just con
illusions here in the east is not en-
cOuraging. Yet New York lives and
thrives off the west and south. whilst
it is to the interest of all the people
that the politicians at Washington
shall not become so entrenched in
power-so unmindful of their origin
and obligations-that nothing short of
a revolution will be able TO remove
them.-H W. in COurier-JOurnal.
Manhattan Club, Aug. 1908.