New-York tribune., 1908-02-07
THE 1901 "TEADER. "

I'm answer In some expressions of astoniSh
ment and wonder over THE New YORK
Worlds declaration the other day that IN
1904 though Judge Parker was the Democratic
Presidential candidate, Mr.. Bryan was the
actual leader of the party, our neigheor makes
the following interesting statement:
The valued Tribune takes exception to state
menr made in The Worlds pamphlet The Map
Of Bryanism' that Mr. Bryan was the actual
leader of the Democratic party in the 19o4 cam
paign. and asks. Did ii 1.-THE World ever sug-
.gest in the 1904 campaign that Mr. Bryan was
the actual leader" THE World did In an
editorial printed Saturday. July 9. 1904 the day
after Mr. Bryan succeeded I'm forcing his own
platform upon the St Louis convention, we said:
The World wishes 10 retract anything it has
said in regard TO the passing of Mr Bryan from
the leadership of the Democratic party. Mr., bryan ryan
has not passed He seems TO be stronger 'iai eNe''
What franller admission of Ir, Bryan's; actual
leadership could The Tribune desire?
This is. indeed. an admission that at GER
tain preliminary stage of the campaign OF l9ot
Mr. Bryan did exert important influence on
Democratic policy. Yet we cannot. in view OF
the circumstances under which this ADMISSION
was made regard it as sustaining the theory
that The World" really regarded MI.
BRYAN as .'the actual leader of the party dur
ING the period ia which Judge Parker was IFS
candidate for the Presidency
In the first place. the article quoted by The
World from its own columns was written ana
published before Judge Parker was nominated.
II apppars in the issue for July 9. which went
10 press while the Democratic National Con-
vention at ST Louis was still listening TO nom
mating speeches made in behah OF various
aspirants for the Presidency. Judge fafhef
was not nominated until ,:30 a. H. on July D.
The foregoing attributOn of party leadership
10 Mr. BRYAN was based on his SuccessIui nsht
10 prevent the resolutions committee OF the
s,, Sl...n nlaf I'm
renudfation of the financial planks of 1896 ana
1000 That WAS tb, single important point on
which as we said the other day. Mr.. Bryan
WAS not overpowered and overridden by the
Parker forces and his light went out when
Judge Parker. after being nominated sent "
telegram 10 the convention announcing th'''
ha regarded "the gold standard as hrlhiS ana
irrevocaby established" and the convention
against Mr. Bryan's vigorous protest cohceueu
the candidates right to his personal opliiioli.
That demolished the only possible claim OF
successful leadership at st. Louis wmch couiu
he set up in behalf of Mr. Bryan 1t lett MIN
entirely outside the breaStworks
AZ wa remember it. The World was not
slow in discovering that the logic of events
had made Judge Parker. not Mr- bryan. lhe
..actIlal leader 1t took TO ftself-and ueStr'
a,lIv-po little credit for influencing Mr. Parker
1o determine for himself the conditions on
which he would stand for the Presidency. ne
+ax+ of tho Parker telegram was not made pun
lio ,,ntu late on the evening Of July 800
Into for comment in The Worlds eultoriai
coIu,uns of the issue of July 10. But on Jul!
II If hacame enthusiastic. did The Evening
POST" over the emergence in democratic pun
tio. of THE Man AT Last. Said our nelSh-
l,or on Jnly H. under the caption, lhe Leautr
Leads:
In Alton Il Parker the Democratic party mas
i leader who leads A thousand ie.ttiS vi d a.
re,tanca discussing a thousand political ISSUES
cef,11 NOT have revealed him TO the American
r,eonle in so favorable so convincing a lsnl
a. he himself did in that crowded houf OF sal
,,r1az when he sent William +. Sheeilan the
telegram that enaEcipatcd the democratic party
from demagogism and disaster
Again. on July 10 THE World" said. under
The cap1ion. Candidate and Leader
The ST Louis convention made Judge Parker
tho candidate of his party for President. His
tan-line dispatch to Mr.. Sheehan married hlm as
-. Iaadar He became by that act of splendid
honor and courage a much the platform or ms
party and the embodiment OF ITS purpose ana
polfcv as President Roosevelt is of the Repub-
lican party.
If Judge Parker during that crowded hour
WAS candidate. leader and emancipator all
rolled in one what role was left TO Mr. Bryan:
What was the Nebraska statesman doing 10
show that his functions as "oversper had not
lanSedg Al what stage of the 1904 canvass
did Judge Parker. in The Worlds opinion.
sbriyel into mere candidate and Mr.. Bryan
.as actual leader start the party again on the
path toward '.demagoeism and Disaster: