Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1908-08-20
The Democratic Candidates Speech.

| WV "SO'duc IanutoatoS Speech.
Philadelphia Press.
Mr.. Bryan iabors through every line
OF his speech at Lincoln yesterday. He
faces new conditions. He fronts new
difficulties. He does not feel behind
him' sweeping him forward, that great
tide of discomfort disregarded and
abuses neglected which gave him both
acceptance and advantage when he ran
before in 1896 and 1900.
In these years the precise issue va
rled. 1t changed. 1t began free silver.
1t became imperialism" or the tariff.
But the fighting force behind Mr.. BRYAN
which raised him from the mere arita-
tor to the national leader, was a wide
public protest, almost wholly disregard
ed, against corporate evils. The rail
roads were making rates at will. The
trusts were profting by rebates. Cor
ruption funds were being used in Leeis-
latures and poured out in elections
Nothing was done, or the little done
was Intellectual. Both parties and the
general framework Of political life and
action were believed by a great mass of
voters (sometimes wrong, as to particu-
lar men and measures. and ALWAYS exag-
gerating the facts) to be inextricably
woven with corporate action and in
t1uence. But there was enough to ms
tlfy this belief, and this gave Mr.. Bryan
power In August, 1896, he gave the
corporate and investing classes the
scare of their lives, as far as this gen
Grafton is concerned.
Read his speech now, given every line
IN The Press this morning, and you will
see how much he has changed in twelve
years. Congress has acted. Legislation,
for which the Democratic vote in both
Senate and House was cast as solid as
the Republican, has changed the whole
situation, legal and administrative. on
railroad rates. The railroads no longer
make rates at will. They are hard put
TO 1t to make living return. The trusts
have been hunted from court to court
and If, now and then, some conspicuous
hne Is disallowed on a technicalitv.
scarcely day passes without penalty
assessed somewhere on railroad or trust
or their officials.
Facing this profound change, Mr..
Bryan has lost both text and sermon.
When he urges as three prime remedies
Tor all evils, publicity for campaign
contributions before election, instead of
after; the popular election of Senators
and new rules for the House of Repre-
sentatives, the prescription scarcely
meets the diagnosis. More law he wants
and general upturning. He urges as
plea for his own election that enough
has not been done; that the railroads
and corporations have not vet been
enough harried and that sharper at
tack. more vindictive prosecutions and
more sweeping legislation are needed.
Ihls is not today either a popular or
convincing cry. Instead, what the
country has felt in the East since the
collapse last October, what it is coming
to feel in the Middle West and beyond
the Mississippi and what the country
Will all agree to by next November. is
that the day of agitation, of attack and
OF upturning, is about over. The country
needs instead sober counsel, expert ju-
olclaI knowledge and the administra-
tive capacity which will secure all the
results of past agitation and prosecu-
ton and lay broad and deep the founda-
tions of prosperity in impartial Justice
for both trust and consumer, shipper
and railroad.
Mr.. Bryan is perfectly well aware
that task like this is not his special
job. 1t is not the work for which he is
best fitted. He can agitate. Who be-
leves he can legislate? He can attack
and destroy. Can he reconstruct and
reform and yet conserve?
His own speech shows that he is
aware of his limitations and his vague
generalties and special but narrow
remedies will neither fire his followers
nor awake confidence in his capacity for
the precise task of the Presidency next
March, when the work Of carefully re-
vlsing the tariff, wisely regulating
trusts and bringing prosperous condi-
tons by skilled administration will be
the chief duty of the Federal Chief Ex-
ecutive.