Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-06-16


first place and even If 1t did would
mot dare to do so considering the pres
lent temper Of the country. Such an
. lact would be equivalent to committing
political suicide. Roosevelt has said
he wants Taft. and that settles it.
Taft it will be.
, AS for Bryan, his nomination has
been certain so long that 1t Is hardly
worth while discussing it. Ever since
he returned from his jaunt around
. the world-aye, ever since the political
lsteam roller passed over a gentleman
named Alton B. Parker-Bryan has
had the Democratic candidacy for the
asking. Why he should want it at all
may be an enigma, but not the fact
that he, can grab it II he desires. Prob
ably running for president has grown
into a habit with him, or he may fig
ure that, being yet a comparatively
young man, he may keep on running
llong enough to slip in some time when
the other side Is not watching. How
lever these things may be- 1t is appar-
lent that in this year Of our Lord he
has pre- -empted the Democratic man.
sion and has chased all the other would
lbe candidates into the back lot. Bryan
lis now only forty eight years DID, and
lif he @Ekeeps on running till he Is
leighty be has nine or ten good races
in him yet.
~ r,,ia dc hot ln or L
leXpects to be elected this year and that
lif he Is. he will never run again. What
la temptation he places before the
country!
Possibly he figures that in a fat
Iman's race the man with the least en-
bonpoint-pronounce it If you dare
should win out. Bryan has some flesh
himself, but Taft makes him look like
a living skeleton. If Taft should be
elected he would make the hencoop
\ that is used as an executive building
bulge out at the sides.
i Let us suppose now that it is the
middle Of July and that William How
ard Taft is the nominee Of the Repub-
lican party and William Jennings Bry-
an is the standard bearer of the Demo-
cratic party. Which shall we pick for
a winner? Neither looks much like a
champion. but we have had homely
presidents before. Consider all points
carefully before choosing your favor
ite or course you may decide to vote
for the one you think will lose. Some
of us do that frequently. This may be
on the principle that we favor the un
derdog or on the general idea that
we are ''.agin the government" or sim
ply because the prospective loser be-
longs to our party. This is not an in
lquiry as to how we intend to vote,
however, but as to the man we think
will win.
In comparing the two candidates the
first thing apparent Is that Taft has
held office all his life and Bryan has
tried to- In this connection it is not
fair to charge Mr.. Bryan with lack Of
executive experience That Is not his
fault.
Another point in common is that
both have travelled extensively, but
each is willing to forego the pleasures
Of leaving the country for four years.
Both Are optimists.
But here resemblance as we'll as
Friendship ceases. In other ways the
two are no more alike than an ele-
lphant and an owl. Taft claims to be
the only simon pure Roosevelt candi-
date, and Bryan says he was like
Roosevelt before Roosevelt was like
himself Taft lacks eloquence, and
bryan has plenty Of it. Both are about
the same age, but Taft has more to
show for it and is larger for his years.
Taft laughs like an explosion Of dyna-
Unite, and Bryan smiles like crack in
a melon Both are natural optimists,
but Bryan manages to conceal the fact
when talking about Wall street and the
trusts. On the railroad question Taft
Is for government regulation at cabi-
Inet meetings and Bryan favors govern
ment ownership when no one is listen
ing. AS for tariff revision, Bryan
wants it right off and Taft wants 1t as
soon as the stand patters will let him.
On the money question Taft wishes
the banks to issue the money and Bry-
an would have the government issue
the money and distribute 1t through
the banks. On other questions Secre-
ltary Tafts views may be determined
by consulting my policies" and Mr..
Bryan's by reference to the Democrat
ic platform.
But all this does not determine which
one will be elected. The country might
do better by defeating both and elect
ling Tom Watson, but it never will.
Watson is getting almost as much in
the habit of running for president as
Bryan and gets more fun out Of 1t. He
knows he never can be elected, and
Bryan does not, but may learn.
| Not Much of Cinch.
Taking everything into considera-
ton, however, this election Is not go
ling to be as much of a cinch as some
people would like to have it. There
are several reasons. To particulariZe:
First.-Labor will cut Taft There is
no gainsaying this fact, and there is no
good in trying to minimize It, The or
ganized labor vote Of this country is
large and influential. Recently 1t has
been aroused by three adverse court
decisions. Taft was once a Federal
Ijudge, and the workingmen take vigor-
Gus exceptions to some of his injunc-
tions.
SecOnd.-The colored vote will cut
Taft. The Brownsville affair is not
forgotten nor the secretary Of wars
part therein. Those politicians who
figure that because the negroes always
have voted the Republican presidential
ticket they are going to do it again
this year should cease vague generali-
cations and get some definite, first
hand information.
| Third-Wall street and the Inter
ests" will be lukewarm and will do