The Columbus journal., 1908-09-09
OPPOSES THE PEERLESS LEADER.
Editor John Sprecher of the SCHUYLER Free
Lance has Declared for Taft and Sherman

The editor of the Free Lance is not
republican and does not expect 10 be.
This editor is . populist in belief. and
endorses the principles Of that party
which has nominated Tom Watson again
for president He ID for tho platform
that Tom Watson runs on and 10 an i'd
mirer OF Wstsons. and voted for him
four years ago. But this year in Ne
brasks q populist cannot vote for Wat
son owing to the manipulation of the
electors by the machine element Of that
party. which is made up Of q lot OF mas
quersding democrats. In Nebraska this
year . pOpulist cannot vote for Watson
and must be disfranchised or else choose
from the other nominees.
Above all else this year, the Free
Lance editor is opposed to the election
of w. J. Bryan to the presidency be-
cause he is simply Disguised with the
standing candidate, who is apparently
for or against any proposition that will
net him votes. In 1896. when Bryan ran
for president the first time, this writer
was enthusiastically for him and was q
silver" advocate. not that we consid
cred his bimetalism a solution of the
money question, but because We were
opposed to the single gold standard and
looked upon free silver as step in the
right direction OF an increase of cur
rency. But it was part of the ''intrin-
sic value" sophistry as was the gold
standard idea and a mskeshift at best.
In 1900, when still standing by his
"free silver" ideas. Bryan made the fake
of snti-imperislism and anti-militarism
his chief issues. He based his charges
of imperialism on the Philippine policy
of the government, after he was to a
great extent responsible for it, and his
cry of the dangers of large standing
army was buncombe. While not warm
supporter of his, still he was voted for
that year because We were not McKin-
Icy advocate.
But Bryan's actions since 1900 and his
present campaign work and talk are
such that We cannot support him and
feel it duty to oppose his election and
in the most effective manner.
In 1904, in the national democratic
convention, he was not q candidats-that
is. he had put his candidacy on ice be-
cause he realized that no one could de-
feat Roosevelt, 80 he stayed back and let
Parker get the benefit, so that he could
come forward again in 1913 as greater
and apparently stronger leader than
ever. All he did in that campaign was
to keep himself in line and regular. the
while he saw to it that Parker and Par
kerism were killed of. In that conven-
ton, as the Nebraska member of the
committee on resolutions, he made the
fight OF his life to have 'free silver"
endorsed in the platform, and failing
there he carried the fight to the floor of
the convention and went down to defeat.
But in 80 doing he aliensted q certain
element from Mr.. Parker that would
insure his defeat. On the other hand,
had he gained his point it would have
meant defeat. No better proof of his
insincerity in that need be pointed to
than the fact that this year, when he
wrote the democratic platform and could
have anything in it he desired. he fails
to mention silver, although it is as live
an issue as it was in 1904. But in 1904
he was killing Parker and RELOCATING
that element to the rear to be the one
candidate sought by the democratic
hosts in 1903.
This year he has little to say on i'm
perialism, although the republicans have
not changed their policy, but it is cold
issue and Bryan avoids all such regard
less of his pest expressed ideas. And he
even fails to toll of the dangerous tend
ency to militarism our enormous stsnd-
ing army is, because that is not win
ner.
His professed belief in governmental
ownership of railroads is dropped be-
cause he saw that it would not do and
would lose him votes, SO it is dropped, as
is all things that do not bring net re-
suits.
The tariff is again made one Of the
main issues, after being neglected for
several campaigns. but in that he will
not find great issue, for the republicans
are declaring for revision the while
they hold to the principle of protection.
His main effort will be to gain the
vote Of organized labor with his antrim
junction plank, which simply means that
labor is not protected in. any legitimate
rights, but is licensed to commit outlawry
DEPOSIT GUARANTY A FAIL
URE.
Mr.. Taft landed a death blow upon
Mr.. Bryan's pet scheme for the guar
snty of bank deposits when he pointed