The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-11-01

AlAMhs Illinois, " AscGAslng Minnie
sofa, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado,
IONVR, Missouri, Kansas, Ken
lucky, West virginia, North Car
0lina, Tennessee, Virginia, Mary
land, Delaware, New Jersey, New
York, Connecticut.
With them, it was Il fight for life; with
the Republicans, on the contrary. the
question OF controlling the party Organi-
zatiOns has frequently seemed even
mere Important than that IF electing
President and It Congress
Party Too Prosperous.
The Republican party has been so pre-
posterously prosperous that il has come
TO be regarded as about the only aggre-
cation Of political assets worth White.
Consequently, control Of a majority OF
it's stock was looked upon as conu5l OF
the nation. Everything worth while
seemed to be inside the Republican par
~; and when IL suddenly burst upon
the country within the first month after
the Denver convention that there were
distinct evidences of solvency about the
Democratic establishment, IL brought a
decided SHOCK &c q large number of peo-
pie who had been assuming that this
was 10 be. a political procession rather
than q raSA II became apparent pres
entity that Mr.. Bryan vas playing the
fastest sort of practical politics lie
brought al his old enemies into line.
he reunited the party, he dropped eN-
tremism; he succeeded in meking most
people forget free silver and government
ownership and other vGgaries OF his
earlier campaigns He pulled his party
Together for a real effort.
Republicans at Var.
At the same tBle. the Republican
party was torn " Tn disseusion. Both
elements wanted control of the organ
izatlOn. The exI erieuced and expert
politicians had to be dropped out Of
the managerial positions because they
were OF the wrong faction. New men
took their places. and there were sulk-
ing in the tents. and grave prophesies
Of disaster.
The story Of the troubles within the
Republican management need not be
recounted here. The campaign was laid
out with the expectation that about
s.. 0O0.0O0 OF campaign funds would be
raised Instead, il became evident very
early that there was 10 be almost no
money on the Republican side Nobody
seemed to care. and the campaign plans
had TO be reformed in the utmost haste
in order TO cut the garment out of re-
stTicted cloth. The President had to
take hand I'm things, and his vigorous
and skillfuI direction soon brought mat
tiers up with a round turn. In the last
month. the RepU blican campaign has
been getting progressively into better
shape; money has finally been raised,
and the things which absolutely re-
quired to be done have been done.
Democrats Surprised.
The Democrats surprised themselves
quite as much as anybody else, by get
ting some real money for their fund.
They diIn't expect it; their opponents
didn't expect they could get il. It.
would be hard to tell which side was
the more surprised; the Republicans.
at being broke" or the Democrats at
being solvent.
BY the time the Republicans had
raised money enough TO finance their
campaign the election was in sight. In
any other circumstances the Democrats
would hardly have doubted winning.
But the Republican party had a tTe-
mendOUs balance at the bank Of roIiti-
cal deposit Mr.. Roosevelt was elected
four years ago by 2.500,O00 popuI7
plurality It can lose, this year, one
and one-lalf times the popular plural
ity which Mckinley. received in 1895
and still come out with larger plu-
rality than Mckinley poIled. It must
be extremely prodigal Of its resources
if it shall lose. Nobody can take the
table of votes in the electoral college
and the returns from recent elections.
and seriously figure that the election Of
Mr.. Bryan is anything but a long shot.
Taft Has Assets.
Mr. Taft has as assets his own splen-
did equipment and qualification for the
Presidency; the support Of President
Roosevelt; the backing of the Repuori-
can army, the best organized and dis
ciplined ever brought together in poll
tics. Mr.. Bryan has a rUnited party
AT his back. held together by the Co
menJ Of self-inteTest for the time be
ing, but manifestIy not coherent. and
plainly unable to stand the stress Of
for a legislative programs.
Even the veteran army of Republican
ism, indeed. didn't acquit itself at all
well last session.
There isn't a real issue in the cam
paign. Government guarantee Of bank
deposits comes nearest of it; but it isn't
big and engrossing enough to.dominate
a national campaign. The Republicans
haven't taken hold of their end Of it
with the VigOr which. in 1886 they dis
played in dealing with free silver. They
deserved 10 win. on that issue. because
they had the courage to be right. This
year they have been right, but they
have not had the courage of the con-
viction. They have lodged and hedgeo
and divided altogether too much on this
issue.
Bryan Stronger Now. q.
Bryan comes nearer to commanding
confidence than he ever did before. The
question is whether he has so far re-
stored himself as to be a possible win
ner. Analysis OF all the elements IA
the situation may be said fairly to