Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1908-01-22
The Battle Not Always to the
Strong

4
Strong
A communication from the pen
of DIR. John H. Latane of the chair
of history at Washington and Lee
University appeared in Sundays
Richmond Times-Dispatch on the
subject of the Democratic nominee
for PRECEDENT with special refer
ence to William Jennings Bryan.
The following excerps are taken
from the article in question.
"There seems to be a widespread
belief that the next Democratic
presidential nomination will 60 to
Mr.. Bryan. This belief appears to
be based on the argument tibet Mr..
Bryan's following is large enough.
under the two-thirds rule of DEM
ocratic conventions, to prevent the
nomination Of any other candidate,
and that therefore the only course
open to the party is to nominate
Mr. Bryan. Consequently the ma
jorlty of the party leaders through
cut the country, believing that
Bryan's nomination is foregone
conclusion, are unwilling to sacri-
fee their party inflence by attempt.
ing to organize against him.
"What are Mr.. Bryan's claims
on the Democratic IartY? The is
sue to which he consecrated his
life, and which brought him into
prominence, is dead, and with the
collapse of that issue he should
naturally have retired from the
leadership of his party; but his re-
markable gifts as a speaker enc
bled him to keep himself before the
people and to secure se,ond nom
nation. The campaign OF 1900
should have been waged on the is
sues growing out of the Spanish
War, and man not identified with
the silver issue put up to lead the
fight.
"Mr. Bryan is possessed of an
that would adOrn the
highest craftsmanship; he is hon.
est, patriotic and sincere, but he is
essentially an advocate, with the
people as his clients, ana, like the
professional advocate, he stands
ready to be retained in any cause
his clients ask him to undertake.
lie is utterly lacking, however, in
the most essential element of states
manship-the ability to distin
guish between Issues that are spe-
clone and temporary and issues
that are real and perm anent. He
talks in platiIudes aboat the regu-
atiOn of trusts and corporations,
about ultimate government owner
ship of railroads, about the initia.
tive and referendum, but he discus
ses these measures without having
objected them to searching anaIy-
sic, and no one has succeeded in
from him any we'll
thougGt-Out system or plan for
putting any of these ideas into op.
grafton. His principal boast at
present seems to be that he adv0.
lated most of the Roosevelt poll
lies before Roosevelt took them
up. Mr.. Bryan has talked so
much in the last twelve years ard
advocated SD many thiIgs in a
,eceral way that his charge of
against the President
,robab bly, has in it u measure of
ruth, tut if there is anything the
cuntry is weary of just now it is
be Roosevelt policies,
"The object of THU comm urica- !
ion is to urge the expediency of
he Virginia Democratic State
onventlon meeting early and ex
ressina itself openly against the
OCination of Brysn, or at least
aving It's delegates unirstructed. /
UGH a course would, it is believed.
the present state Of public opin"
q, Nuke profound impIessic n
d produce change OF senti-
ent in s0u of the Other States
i absurd to say that Mr.. Bryan E
the ofiy nan in the Democratic
lrty big enough to fill the presi
,ntial rhfir