Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-01-27
WALTER WELLMAN
SAYS Mr.. BRYAN IS NOT EASY
MAN TO DEFEAT.
Correspondent WarnslRe-
pubIiCanS That Bryan is Stronger
Than Ever Before With the "Plain
People" Bryan and Roosevelt Most
Popular Men in the Country TODAY.

Mr.. Walter Wellman, Washington cor.
respondent af the Chicago Record. Her
aid and journalist Of wide repute, takes
occasion to warn those republicans who
are disposed to think Mr.. Bryan an easy
man to defeat. He says: Disregard
the professional politician and get down
among the people-'tte plain people,
MIR. Bryan himself loves to call them
and you will find that the Nebraskan is
stronger than ever before. AS I said
some time ago, he has worn we'll. In
his honesty and sincerity the people have
full confidence. He is the only democrat
who stands in a class with President
Roosevelt in the affection OF the masses.
Roosevelt and Bryan are the only uni
versally popular public men we have to-
day, and logically, from the standpoint
Of the thought and hope Of the vast ma
jority of the people, they should be rival
candidates. The point wish to make
is that the men or the party who proceed
upon the theory that Bryan is not dam
gerous as votegetter are likely to wake
up some time and find themselves sadly
mistaken"
How will this strike those democratic
newspapers that are in the habit of be-
wailing Mr.. Bryan's weakness? There
are many such newspapers in the east
and not a. few in the south. They regard
Mr.. Bryan as weak because Of the re-
spectacle number OF voters of indepens
dent or democratic tendencies who have
voted against Mr.. Bryan in the past and
who do not like some OF the policies he
advocates. 1t is quite true that there is
a class of votes that Mr.. Bryan cannot
get, which Governor Johnson, Judge
Gray or any other conservative man
might get. But what about the much
greater number that no conservative
candidate can obtain, but which Mr..
Bryan can get? These seem to be over.
looked and these votes, rather than the
others, are likely to determine the result
Of the election.
Mr.. Wellman is quite right in saying
that Mr.. Bryan is stronger than ever be.
fore. If he has lost popularity at all, it
is in the south where dominant con.
servative element dislike such policies as
government ownership. But these south
ern conservatives are going to vote for
him just the same and, with these radi.
cal policies omitted from the platform.
as they will be, since Mr.. Bryan him.
self says the time is not ripe for them,
MIR. Bryan is more acceptable to them
than Judge Gray. Governor johnson or
Judge Harmon.
With Taft in the field as the republic
can candidate, there are in the north,
middle west and Rocky Mountain states.
tens of thousands of men who voted for
Roosevelt, who will just as earnestly
support Bryan, and there are other tens
OF thousands who will not support the
republican candidate without there is
money to pay them for it..
Altogether, the situation is by no
means gloomy for democratic success.
If the eastern newspapers that profess to
yearn for democratic success will stop
their sneerng and grouching and sup.
port the ticket, they may yet haye an
opportunity Of seeing democratic ad-
ministration installed at Washington.
Houston (Texas) Post.