New-York tribune., 1908-07-06

RRYAN AND GrFFEY.

Mfr Bryan in his attack upon Colonel James
NJ Guffey took again q position of which he
made much year ago. but on which he has
been significantly silent during the time in
which he has been gathering delegates to the
national convention namely, the need of purify
ing the Democratic party of leaders of the
Guffey type The slogan of the campaign. he
told the Pennsylvania delegation at Fairview,
is TO be. LET the people rule" The Demo
cratic party must be rid of the exploters 1t
should not be In the hands of men who make it
their business TO see that. as Tom Johnson said
a few moments later in his speech upon Colonel
Guffey, whichever party wins you 1.-THE peopel
lose"
Colonel Guffey is distinctly the type of leader
which Mr. Bryan was saying repeatedly last
year must be eliminated The men who were
in politics the representatives of special in
terests or who were prominently associated
with the big corporations must take back Sc;
for the good of thu party or they must be
forced into back seat Colonel Guffey though
it is not recalled that Mr.. Bryan ever named
him until recently as one of those to be elimi-
mated. is just the sort of man who fitted into
Mr. Rryan'S category Of undesirable Democrats
whose continued prominence was detrimental
TO the Democracy. He is a Pennsylvania oil
producer and is affiliated with the Standard
Oil Company. His hold upon the party is Que
solely to the fact that he has financed ii for Il
good many years and all the petty Democratic
leaders turn 10 him with gratitude. both of the
reminiscent and expectant variety. His con
''spring 10 defeat what he knew 10 be the ex-
pressed will Of the Democrats of Pennsylva-
mia" consisted in his rejecting in the Demo
cratic State Convention resolutions instructing
the delegates at-large for Mr. Bryan. although
BRYAN had carried the primaries at which
majority of the district delegates had been
elected indicating that he was the choice of
majority of the Pennsylvania Democracy.
The sin of Colonel Guffey. however. seems to
lie not in his being a boss and one OF corpora
ton associations, but in his using his power as
a boss against Mr.. Bryan. It was not until be
did that that he brought down upon himself the
Nebraskan's reforming wrath and was de-
nounced as an ''embeZzler of power" and
--bushwhacker' If he had instructed for Bryan
at the recent Democratic convention he would
have been an acceptable national committee,
man. Whatever Mr. Bryan thinks abstractly
and between campaigns Of the desirability of
getting the Democratic party rid of bosses who
use Il in the service Of special interests. he is
not averse To the friendship and support of
such bosses when he himself is seeking dele
gates When he was talking so much of elimi-
mating the Democrats who were a source of
weakness to the party he instanced Mr.. Roger
Sullivan of ILLINOIS, VINO happened TO nave III
CURED his displeasure. as his shining example
of the boss whose business methods he disap-
proved and whose activities discredited the
party. He would refuse nomination rather
than accent one at Roger Sullvan's hands Yet
he made his peace with this embezzler Of power
when he needed and could get his support. His
pitiful weakness in the Sullivan case takes out
of his scathing denunciation of Guffey all
meaning except personal pique. If he tries TO
make the issue Let the people rule" he will
have 10 explain his own STOPPING to bosses like
Sullivan and his abandonment during ali these
months Of his campaign of all effort to put the
Democratic party into the hands of the Demo
cratic people.