The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-08

NtCS1eot0 D1 EfhtNGEu ASHOCEAlSt who concede that Bryan could not car " New York and their opinion was most emphatic that Gray or Johnson could have carried Flew York and won the battle. This. of course, is merely an opinion. and is met by the opinions of many other Democrats that none but Bryan could have made the race West and Far West. And the obvious retort to this Is that inasmuch as Bryan's race in the West brought, him no landslide and nothing but defeat 1t would have been better to try a candi- date who could carry New York and thus have chance to reach the White House.
 Tn this campaign many things con- spired to help Bryan and hurt Taft These are now too well known to need pointing out again. A month ago 1t was feared by the most astute and best informed of the Republicans that if the election had been held then Bryan would have won. He always wins in September, but never in November With all these factors working for the Democracy this year it has become the conclusion of many men that if that party could not win under such favor abel circumstances 1t may as well hang its harp on a willow tree and go out of the Presidency-seeking business. There are not lacking at this hour men who are willing to predict that the Democ- racy will never rally from this defeat, that 1t will disintegrate as a party and never more threaten the Republicans in It's present form. But history has shown that the Democracy Is inde- structible. It will be on deck four years hence with candidate and an other bid for success.
 Already there Is discussion as to the future of the party and it's personnel. There is widespread sympathy for Mir. Bryan, because 1t Is generally admitted this marSA the end of his noble ambi- tion to be President No one dreams that he will ever again ask the party to name him as its standard bearer. The country Is full of jokes, of course, about the man who said he would vote for Taft now because he could vote for Bryan 'any old time." but Bryan is far from being the selfish man his critics would make him appear. He did feel he had a right to this third chance at the prize; and to the last minute he sincerely believed he was going to win It. But smother race in 1s12? It ts too absurd to be thought of. No man in his senses believes Bryan will seek fourth nomination--he has already broken all records in unsuccessful cap- dIdacy--and no one believes the party would take him if he did.
 Bryan passes. He has run his won- derful career. He comes to the end of his string as leader of his party. with the respect of all the people. But 1t Is the end. just the same. remem- Der that after the St. Louis convention of 1904 had named Judge Parker l, among other observers, printed articles to the effect that This was the end of Bryan" But he did come up again. and during the campaign just finished has good-naturedly twitted us of our false prophecy that he was down and out. This should teach us caution in dealing with the future of this remark able man. There is something about 1 that heavy under jaw of his which sug-, Rests that perhaps he will never give up trying to be President. that the jokesmiths may be half right In depict ] ing a decreptt old man. bearing the | name of Bryan. running for President on the Democratic ticket for the nine l teenth time in the year 1856. The third battle was dignifieG brilliant, l at one time promising. But a fourth ? ! yes. that would be a joke. If some prank of the fates were to place Bryan ! in nomination again his candidacy l would be laughed out of court.
 The rising sun of Democracy, ie that party may be. said to have a sun in these days of gloom. shows q num- l Der of interesting figures among the Democratic governors who appeRr to , have been elected in Republican states--J0hnson in Minnesota. Harmon in Ohio, Marshall in Indiana. Here, 1 1t is generally said. is to be found good 1 presidential timber for the future.
 This election has settled another thing. In the reorganization of the Democratic party which Is sure to come. New York is to have no place 1 or part. at least not under the leader ship which now afflicts that state. 1 The amazing result in New York City. 1 which Taft carried by 15.000 cannot be l explained. Hearst hurt Bryan. He must have taken away, directly or in- directly, 10000 votes. The business l mems movement made an impression | upon many small shopkeepers. native American and foreigners But New York is the. greatest Democratic citv In the country. Labor helped Bryan. l many of the wage-earners who are not in unions were for him. some of the Germans who have been Republicans in recent years were now for Bryan. There Is no adequate explanation why Bryan should run 43.000 behind hIs own record of 1900. and 53.000 behind Parker. who was the rival of the very popular Roosevelt. That is. no ex- planAtlon that will satisfy the ardent Bryanites And fl in the future any candidate for the Democratic nomina- ton for President has the fatal friend ship and favor of Tammany Murphy and McCarren of Brooklyn. he will have Bryan himself and thousands upon thousands of Bryan's ardent fol- lowers to deal with. That candidate will be treated as Parker was four years ago.
 
 All of which suggests not only one of the Western Democratic Governors as the standard bearer of the future, but Mir. Bryan's natural and proper place in the party. He is likely to be the leader of Democracy for years to come the most powerful man in 1t, the maker of other men, the framer of poll