The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-29

true that Mr. Bryan is held in a more
kindly light now than in past yearssas
Walter Wellman in Chicago Reeord-IIer-
aid.
New York.-After six days ofssstorsn
and strain and flying brickbats and ex-
ploding bombs the week comes to an end
with the republicans feeling decidedly
more hopeful. They think there has sw-f
turn of the tide and that Taft's elYaSM Il
are now much better than they We
fortnight ago. -
1t is not denied that they have 1AP4
scare. They make no effort to I'll
the fact that at one time they we *
most in a panic over the gains tu-xh
Bryan was admittedly making in the ida
particularly and to some extent in z
east also For one thing they assH
that the events of the past week h. r.
removed a large bugaboo from the fieXs
General Apathy is no longer in comma,ld
The great mass of voters are showing
interest in the campaign even If NOT any
excitement over it and it's developmehtA
This is something gained
Till recently the republican leaders, IN
the east had feared they would notM,e
able to get out full vote Now ff{
have no more anxiety on that score. With
so many sensations going around fhs
dear public is beginning to sit dp Ind
take notice in a good-humored but prom
Using way.
There is no reason why the republtcans
should feel discouraged, taking look
at the whole national field. Inev IRE
holding their own fairly well in the east
and better in the far west than the
best-informed men had hoped. 1t is not
to be denied that Bryan is gaining a lit
tie ia the east. But there are not as
yet any signs that he threatens to carry
New York and without New York his
chances are not very bright AS to Ohio.
Indiana and the middle west, this is true.
The democrats have so far done SO much
better than was expected that as soon
as the republicans awoke to a realiza-
ton OF the truth they were more scared
than the facts warranted. That Bryan
was gaining and that many of those
states were fairly close was made known
in these dispatches The republicans at
first could not see it. They thought
all such estimates. were false or dictated
by desire to create a situation instead
of describing one. When they did at
last see the truth they were naturally
shocked and permitted their suddenly
aroused anxiety to carry them too far
in the pessimistic direction. In dealing
with political conditions, as with every
thing else, it Is we'll to have an open
mind to avoid living in a FOOLS para-
disc of confidence in the first place and
unnecessary panic in the second place.
From the Wall Street Journal
Here we are a nation of Sc, 900, 900 people.
with voting population of over 5000, 900,
with territory nearly equal to that of
Europe, with a wealth greater than that
of any other nation, with an inland COM
merce as big as the foreign trade of all
other nations combined and with business
and political interests that circle the
globe.
This great and powerful nation, boast-
ing of 500 colleges and universities, $4,000
newspapers and as many libraries is con-
Quoting a presidential election to deter.
mine what the policy of its government
shall be during the next four years, and
yet the issue at stake, the one supreme
subject of debate is whether a man
named Haskell has or has not been an
agent of the Standard Oil company.
What a spectacle for the nations!