Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-07-18
BRYAN.
in Iowa.

AS a matter of course the Denver
convention has obediently ratified Mr..
Bryan selection of himself as its
presidential nominee.
Mr.. Bryan S strange hold on the
most numerous section of his party
made his own nomination simply 3
matter of choice and effort with him
self The logical corollary of the
crushing defeat of Parker in 1904 was
the choice of radical candidate in
1908.
There is nodoubt that Mr.. Bryan
seriously hesitated before determining
to tempt fortune for the third time
and risk a defeat that must put an
end to his party ascendancy and i'm
pair his lucrative prestige.
Presumably he was sincere when
he wrote in 1900, under the depression
of failure: IT can not conscientious
ly ask the party to consider me again
for the presidency. l led them to de-
feat eight years, and that ought to be
enough for any man. -
But hope springs eternal; Mr..
Bryan ambition grips him with the
tenacity of a fixed idea; and there
were new factors in the situation
which reinspired him with belief in
his chances of election. That belief
settled with Mr.. Bryan, with whom
the party is primarily an instrument
for his own aggrandizement, he con-
Glued to take the plunge, and since
his coy announcement that he would
not refuse if the party wanted him
he has exhausted the resources of
practical politics in getting a conven
ton that would say the party did
want him.
Mr.. Bryan retraction of his self
denying resolution of 1900 is due,
then, to inspire him with the hope that
he can succeed where he failed twice
SO disastrously before.
What are the new factors?
Chiefly, beyond doubt, the immense
popularity of man of radical lean
ings-Theodore Roosevelt, and the
fact that the campaign falls at
period Of business depression likely to
increase the elements of discomfort
that it is Mr.. Bryan speciality to ap-
peal to and infame. With radical
policies grown popular, and with
season of depression usually unfavor-
able to the party in power, it is now
or never with me, reasoned Mr.. Bryan.
But there are factors making the
other way which Mr.. Bryan may not
have reckoned with.
This vastly popular Roosevelt will
throw his vast popularity into the scale
against him and for his favorite,
William II. Taft. The defeat of
Taft would meana rebuff for Roose-
velt that the masses who idolize MIN
are not at all likely to administer.
AS for Mr.. Rooseve1t's radicalism,
it is of an essentially different kind
from and openly hostile to the semi
socialism of Mr.. Bryan. As for business
depression, business men and wage
workers generally ascribe it to rest
less and noisy agitation congenial to
Mr.. Bryan, and that the election of
Mr.. Taft would give the country
rest from.
People will think twice before vot
ing for continued agitation and
against their bread and butter.
If Mr.. Bryan possesses the admin
istrative ability necessary in presi-
dent of the United States, he has
given no sign of it. Talk is his
speciality. Between him and Mr.. Taft,
who has SO abundantly proved his
practical craftsmanship and executive
ability, there is absolutely no com
parison on that score.
If Mr.. Bryan imagines he can sweep
the. middle west against Taft with
Roosevelt's immense popularity at his
back he is under a singular deluslon.
He is in for a third defeat; and the
republican party will leave no stone
unturned to make it final and conclu-
sive, and thus have done with this re-
current nuisance and menace of Bryan
ism-Milwaukee Sentinel.