The Washington herald., 1908-07-19
POLITICAL COMMENT.

in this campaign should be the raven.
It is to be a campaign Of crosking and
pessimism. 50 far as that party is con-
cerned. The people are to be told how
poor and wretched they are. in the hope
that they viii remember with gratitude
the birds Of III omen.
Prosperity cToak the ravens Of the
/ Democratic press, where is it, The
country was never so badly OF as now.
but worse times are coming. Every
body is poor and getting poorer. The
mills are closed down. Men are out Of
work. There is no trade. wholesale OF
retail. The Republican party has
brought the country 10 the brink Of
ruin. %
The Springfield Republican thinks that
perhaps the Prohibitionists may hurt the
lRepublican party IN Ohio Il says;
IF the Prohibitionists this year were to
show unusual strength in Northern
lSsates, they could do as much damage to
ithe Republican candidates in Ohio as any
where. But there are no signs that Mr..
lVorys is in the least apprehensive Of an
linroad upon Mr.. Taft's strength from that
lcuarter. The ProhibitiOnist national and
Estate conventions at Columbus this week
lmay arouse Prohibition sentiment some
what for there has long been a strong
lanti-saloOn sentiment IN Ohio, which was
particularly potent I'm 1905. when Mr. Pat
ltersOn, Democrat was elected governor.
Yet election statistics are not such as 10
isiarm the Republican managers The
Prohibition vote in Ohio rose TO z. 100 in
lISS7 and then fell TO about 21000 In 1888.
In the years from 1895 70 1900. inclusive.
the vote huctuated between 5.469 and To-
i203 In 1903 II rose to 1852 and IN 1904
it mounted 10 1s.3Ss; but IN 1905 when the
Democratic governor was chosen. the vote
fen back to 13.0s1. While the tendency in
lrecent years has been for the Prohibition
strength in Ohio to return 70 IT'S proper
tons in the SOS. the candidacy Of another
faYorite son Of Ohio viii probably affect
It adversely again"
The Baltimore American calls BIr
Bryan the ''Ajax'' OF his party. and points
him out as an absolute boss. II says:
Mr. Bryan is permitted free 20 with
the machinery OF his party. He is al
lowed 70 do the planning and the assign
ing OF the men who viii carry on the
routine OF the campaign He is. IN fact,
the only working factor In the party. This
makes him the supreme individual as no
candidate has ever been before From
him goes forth the pronunciamentos. He
cracks the whip over the heads OF the ma
tional committee; he appoints the sub
{ committees. he directs where the cam
merry King Cole OF the Democracy. Out
wardly there is wonderful compliance TO
his directing will He is large in asser-
zion, wide in vision, and long in talk. His
party has no alternative but TO permit
z him 10 have his unchailenged way"
The PittsburE Gazette points cut what.
IN its belief. Is the main strength Of Mr.
+ Taft's appeal 70 the country. It says.
Mr. Taft does not appeal and no one
appeals for him that he be elected to the
Presidency because he viii be unable 10
enforce policies which he represents. He
5 asks for the votes Of the people on the
E ground that his election on the platform
2 upon which he stands will Be popular
, mandate to the Senate and House TO CO.
, operate with him in giving fun effect by
appropriate legislation to the principles
and policies represented BY him
The Lafayette Courier has this to say
Z about Mr. Kern's speech in response 10
his Indiana welcome:
; Some OF the best men in lafayette
: were al the depot yesterday 10 greet
: John W Kern when he reached here. Nlr-
: Kern was duly appreciative OF the honor
!, paid him By this city and he showed his
: appreciation by his refusal TO refer 10
: the political issues. except in a general
: way He said to all. Democrats Republi-
cans. Prohfbitionists. and Socialists:
! Study and learnr The man who follows
the advice Of John ". Kern on that
proposition cannot 90 far wrong this
year. and he viii not vote for 8Ir. Kern.
either
i The Brooklyn Stsndard-Union is looking
to the detection OF Hearst as one OF the
principal things that may defeat Bryan
Il II points out:
+ Mr. Hearst has never forgiven him
q nor could he be expected thereafter L
!. trust him Least OF all could it be sup
= posed that Air. Bryan. By ostentarfousIy
debating a platform plank on an agree
: ment that the labor vote shall be deliv
, cred to him bodily therefor. could IN
.e veigle the Independence party into sup
Al porting him en- masse. It IS not couceiv
a able that even Mr. Hearst could drive al
his supporters back into the Democrat,
: party by any bargain or agreement witt
> Mr.. Bryan
,e OF the desertion OF Bryan by Hears
rs and Watson the New York Mall says:
At The NebTsskan's fences do not stan,
D. mistaken by these two defectiOns. Vat
sr sons may be significant chiefly as
! symptom, but Hearst's IS significant in
: material sense as we'll His party cam
IS within 3.o0 votes Of eIecting a mayor il
NAAA1 NAAN IL A-Nrs ANAEttA AAAE AELflOEEdLS
accept him as their gubernatorial candi
date here IN 1896. and gave him 1900
votes under its own emblem, cast u. %
votes for its State candidates for III
4, Court OF Appeals IN 1897. against a Re
publican-DemOcratic fusion; put tn
N Democrats third in the running in Afassa
p chusetts the same year; cast $500 vote
III in California. and developed mucl
% strength in municipal elections"
I
:, The Boston Journal thinks II too earl
3. for either party to indulge IN hope be
= cause OF political estimates. Il says:
Isn't it rather early TO indulge i
= round number victories2 There is to be
- fight and real fight in the Middle West
= There is no doubt of that The Demo
~ cratic leaders are stalking all. or prac
= tically all. on that section and beyond
n and have sacrificed the East IN advance
Is We have no doubt that Taft viii b
, elected; We have no doubt that Repub
y lican States wis continue to support Re
publican nominees. but the demand nov
and hereafter Is for active, iutelligen
work where it is most needed and a post
ponement OF hundred thousand pluralitie
a and ma50rities until the early fall seaso
h of straw ballots and other harmless
an amusements for those who are easI