The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-09-16
''1ul Tan FOR BlYln."
HENRY wAr.rERsoN GIVES HIS
REAsONs.

ik~tSONS.
Against Him for Years He Acquired
Ansi-Brysn Hablt--Ousiook In the
East Noe Encoursging-A Charac-
sevistic Statement.
by Henry watterson.
During ten years. from 1895 to 1905.
no one rejected Mr.. Bryan for lead
or more resolutely than myself II I
could finally reach him and accept him
any GOOD Democrat can. 1t may help
the yet undecided II relate how l
ala.
In the early part OF 1907 I began
. discussion having for Its purpose
some agreement among the Bryan men
and the anti-Eryaa men touching a
presidential nominee other than MT.
Bryan. During ten months this en-
ecuntered from the anti-Bryln men
either indifference or dstraction. I
Ect no second 10 my motion.
Emulatlns the frontier presiding
oGesr who said Second your
uot6Ou. you SON Of . gam" they
! woeId none Of IT. 50 I went to Flor
~. lsavine them to 20 to thunder. or
wefes 70 fAat effect. and the entire
winter paSaD4 he nomination OF Mr..
nSyon bsins either openly accepted
OF silently eososdsd BY every pubic
usan susysuasd - IN Alternative. n
nally IN ~ early spring. two fActs.
s,,1cisntly ascsrtainsd 70 Be cenclu-
siv9 decided me: nrss that sa over
whelming n6jortty Of the dsmocrsss
OF shs seush and West were for Mr..
Brysn IN splss o. me argument I had
msds assinse his availability as Q
ean1idats; ana second. that the be-
} ists1 movement 70 dsfoat his nomina-
too appeared under sQuivocal patron
age and Involved the use Of money
which smanatsd from doubtful
sources. This latter. bodins party
disruption. impsllsd me actively to
taks hand. urging . refusal to re-
rnain silent while Q scheme. danger
Gus and unworthy In character. per-
coiatsd beneath the surface. The
-esult was friendly conference with
Mr. Bryan.
THE sHrELDs REVERSE.
|. Intelligent people viii not need to
ne told that there u all the difference
In the world between sympathy and
agresment-though tentative--anf
opPosition and antasonism. though
resting upon questions only Of expedi-
eney. There was. OF course. reverse
side of the shield. Mr.. Bryan had his
',~cry 10 tell. and this embraced very
strong case. What authorization had
ne TO name . successor In case he
stepped asidef what power had he
ccncedIns the win TO transfer his fol-
lowing TO another? II q ma
. jcrity oc the party was for him.
-what had made II so? surely neither
organization. nor money. nor other
efforts Of his than the constant
preaching OF Democratic gospels. II
he agreed 10 stand down and out.
dessnasing m heir apparent. would
he not become dictator. an autocrat.
ana what difference would there be In
his naming q successor and attempt-
ins to fcist him upon the party and
Eoossvsirs naming and forcing Taft
upon the Republicans? He did
not stand upon his rights at all. upon
his clsims; upon his wishes or am
bltIons. He put the fact OF, the situ-
alton plainly. impersonaily. precisely
az they were and are. and there was
10 rsasonabis answer to be made by
any reasonable man.
Then and there laid down my
haad. As . good Democrat. seeing
clearly. and - the sequel has shown.
seeing truly. the driflof the winds. I
accepted the inevitable: but did this
In 40 dubious way. made no half
frIendship with any man. or set OF
men There lsad rever been anything
more than skin deep between myself
and Mr.. Bryan. Nothing even skin
deep remained. and when the inter-
View had In New York was concluded
vent forth to make Mr.. Bryan's
nsht my night. because II was In
reality the night OF what believe
truth against what believe false
hood.
WHY DECEIVE THYsELF.