The Washington herald., 1908-07-13
POLITICAL COMMENT.

Wnlte-ls master stroke peculiarly Well
timed. The Democrats at Denver were
preparing 10 make great play with the
refusal OF the Republican convention to
declare for publishing campaign accounts.
But Mr.. Taft has spiked that gun. What
ever his party leaders may have desired.
or may have feared he is for letting the
public understand all about the finances
Of the campaign
The Philadelphia Press thinks that the
choice OF George R. Sheldon was the most
important move Taft could have made.
1t declares:
Scarcely less important than the chair
manship is the treasurership Of the com
mittee, to which George r. Sheldon. Of |
New York. was chosen. This choice has
unusual significance in view OF the an
nouncement OF the executive committee |
that Il was made on the recommendation I
OF Mr. Bliss. who has himself so success 4
fully managed the finances Of the party |
in several campaigns. and that the law /
Of New York requiring publicity OF cam |
paign receipts and expenditures will apply /
10 his action as treasurer Of the national I
committee. Mr.. Sheldon himself declares /
that he is and always has been In favor /
the Republican Presidential candidate"
Tho New York Tribune evidently does .
not think much Of the nomination Of .
John W. Kern 10 the Vice Presidency. /
IL says:
His only availability consists in the |
fact that he lives IN a Commonwealth |
once oftener Democratic than Republi- |
can and even now less strongly Repub-
ican than any other OF the Middle West
ern States. His record and equipment /
a public man, however. hardly meas
ure up to the standards Of eligibility /
hitherto accepted In naming a Vice Tres- /
identiai candidate The Democratic party
has gone 10 Indiana before for a Vice /
Presidential nominee. But Mr.. Kern is /
not a Thomas A Hendricks nor even
a William II. English. He will neither
make nor mar the fortunes OF the nation
al ticket, for he will shine only as .
mild reflection Of his stronger partners /
qualities"
The New York Globe sees everything I
IN a rosy light. II only Taft is elected. /
II tTys in somewhat fOwery language to /
tell us what il means
The election OF Taft means peace and /
prosperity. It means that the job will /
again begin to seek the man instead OF /
the man the job 1t means an end OF
harmful wranglng and a fair chance /
for orderly progress 20 make headway I
II means the preservation of all the good |
that is in the Roosevelt administration I
and the elimination OF that which is
bad. II is not strange, therefore that 4
as Roosevelt and anti-Rooseveit Rapub- I
Leans supported Secretary Taft before /
his nomination. so now every faction of
the party. each finding abundant rea-
son for sympathy, is ready TO salute /
him
The New York Times thinks that the I
nomination OF Kern will have its greatest |
effect in Indiana 1t says:
The nomination Of an Indiana man Is I
appropriate and congruous. The cam /
raign will be most strenuously fought out I
that way. and Mr.. Kcrn's name will in /
spire enthusiasm in state where. as Mr. \
Marshall observed IN the nominating /
speech, every man is a politician OF an /
author. Mr. Kern ran for governor I'm /
Indiana in 1900 and was beaten by only I
5000 votes In 1904 he ran again. That I
time the majority against him was 5000 /
ishing acceptabiiity To the people OF his I
own Commonwealth may be maintained /
this year, we present 10 him our Compli- /
ments."
Il is pretty hard and fairly prejudiced I
language that the Buffalo Express holds |
about Mr.. Bryan. 1t ends up an intem- /
perate editorial:
But what's the use OF charscterizing /
him further? He Is Bryan the oppor- |
tunist, the Old Man OF the Sea Of the
Democratic party, who has that unhappy /
organization more firmly in his grip than I
ever. He has nominated himself. he has /
named his associate he has written the /
platform on which they will stand-or. /
more likely. fall He has expelled from
the convention regularly elected delegates /
who disagreed with him. He is the most /
absolute and INSCRIPTIONS boss known in 1
modern politics. but. fortunately. only his /
own followers take him seriously The /
country took his measure years ago and F.
would have none Of him. The only uues- /
tion remaining to be settled is whether /
either Bryan or the Democratic party /
will survive his third unsuccessful cam
paign for the Presidency"
The Philadelphia Press does not believe
that Mr.. Kern will add any strength TO /
the Democratic ticket which. after all. |
is Just Bryan. II says:
Nor will he add TO the strength Of the /
Democratic cause elsewhere. He Is law
Yer Of experience but Of local practice.
He has sat In the State senate. He
has been city attorney i'm Indianapolis.
He is unknown in national affairs. and /
he is destined to remain SO. He has been /
nominated because he is a respectable
Democrat OF local reputation and infu- /
ence who supports Bryan and IS from q
State deemed doubtful This weighed at /
Lincoln, Nebr.. and at Denver. II will !
not In the country. The Democratic ticket |
remains Bryan, and nothing but Bryan.
He is ticket. platform, and party"
The Cleveland Leader thinks that Mr.
Bryan has not a chance to win. and sug-
gests:
The Bryan campaign begins as a mere /
Illusion. 1t is forlorn hope with the |
emphasis on forlorn A thick mantle OF |
defeat Is wrapped around the candidate.
His party is cheering at his funeral"
The Philadelphia Public Ledger asks
in a mournful tone: Has the old Dem
ocratic party given up the fight and lost |
ito existence as. one By one. ihe men
who stood by Cleveland have paid the
debt OF nature and passed 10 the realm
Of silence? Is the Denver convention to
be known as not only a scene Of Bryan |
victory, but as the last breathing OF the
old Democracy and the unObstruCted en-
trance u party bearing the old Demo- /
cratic name on flag carried by a host
which knows not tariff reform. financial
soundnesS, individual Americanism. and
the development of paternal prosperity.