Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-07-11
BRYAN NOMINATED.

If Mr.. Bryan has not been able to
achieve the presidency he has achiev-
ed a mastery over the rank and file
of the Democratic party as it is at
present constituted that has been
gained by no other leader in it's his
tory He dominates it absolutely
SO absolutely that after two defeats
he is again the nominee of his party
for the presidency, by a vote that is
almost unanimous.
The Johnson boom fattened out to
a bare 46 notes.-the demand for him
came from Minnesota largely, and
that only because he was a Minneso-
Ia man. The real sentiment of the
Democracy in Minnesota was for Mr..
Bryan Johnson endorsement was
a concession to home man, who had
twice been elected governor in
Republican state. The sentiment for
Johnson elsewhere through the coun-
try was fostered by opponents Of
Bryan, as Johnson was thought to be
a center around which the opposi-
tion to Bryan might rally, and no
observer of the signs of the times
has ever felt that johnson could do
aught against the sentiment which
has been developed by Bryan for
himself, and which demands Bryan
irrespective of platform, creed, prin-
ciple, Or anything else.
Mr.. Bryan ran over all the candi-
dates with his steam roller. Some
of the delegates who opposed him
were not present at the roll call
They saw no chance to defeat him,
ad they did not present themselves
to vote for him.. 1t is remarkable
domination that Bryan exercises over
the rank and file. The thoughtful
leaders of the Democratic party are
not for Bryan. The conservative
east is not for him. He cannot carry
states such as New York, where the
voters look more at his platform
than at the man himself S
Mr.. Bryan has of late become more
conservative, but the wave. of radi
calism that he has set awash he can
not now control. We believe :. hi
would cheerfully have avoided thu
Injunction plank in the platform
We do not find him declaring fol
free silver, for government and statt
ownership of railroads, or for other
of the isms that he has advanced
and championed from time to time
MIR. Bryan has become conservative
to degree, probably for two rea
sons-one that he knows that hi
thoughtful and conservative people
the other because his closer stud
of national affairs and the possibl
approach of responsibilities, has con
WINGED him that it is not wise i
this country to tear down the estat
lshed order of things at singh
sweep and set up untried and III
wise doctrines of government. An
1t may be that the change from lac
of resources to affluence has ha
something to do with his apparen
change of manner and belief. Blu
Il Mr.. Bryan stands now, not for hin
self, but for the platform adopte
by his party He stands to be juds
ed by his past professions and dos
frines, and the demonstration {
their fallacy and lack of safety. q
stands to be judged by the free sill
er utterances, by his railroad owne
ship professions, by all of the vii
and weird doctrines he has preache
from time to time. And judged /
the doctrines ne has preached an
the way time and experience ha,
interpreted them, Mr.. Bryan is |
no means d statesman, far SEER
man Of wisdom and Judgment. F
is a man of mistakes. But he h;
capitalized his eloquenee, his ma
netism, his personality and his ear
estness until he is the Democrat
partynot its candidate.
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