Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-10-29

Harm ErJ ala Ooutu l'o ~ EAccevu.
/ one OF the most frequent and seem.
ingly plausible arguments In behalf OF
: Bryans candidacy is that as president
of the United States he could do NO
harm, because the senate and the
house also. If Republican, would pre-
vent him from having his own way
Would any sane business man In the
United States entertain such q sugges-
tion? He would reject 1t Indignantly
aud rebuke the person making II.
"whatr he would explain. place
an untrustworthy perYon In charge OF
my affairs and trust TO others to see
that he is not allowed TO inJure met
The very idea is an insult to my com
mon senseY'
Yet day I'm and day out in newspa.
per articles, speeches and talk between
man and man. the argument we have
quoted is applied to the greatest office
In the United Stntes. the Office the
holder Of which possesses more power.
for good or III. than any king or en-
peror and who can. even by a mere
utterance. effect lncalculable evil to
business interests throughout the Unit
ed States. II IL substantially the only
plea offered In behalf OF Bryan to the
business men of the country, and the
persistence with which 1t is repeated
suggests that those who present II
think II il having some effect, or per-
haps-which is more likeIy-lt is the
only plea they dare to present, con-
scious as they are of the utter unfit
ness of their candidate and of the fu.
tillty OF seeking to gain support for
him on his merits as n public man.
It is false plea. as false as It is
shameless. Bryan in the White House
could be and would be for four long
years the most dangerous pest and
plague the business interests of this
nation have ever encountered. The
lack OF ballast In his political career
up TO date. his weather vane veering
to this or that point OF the compass TO
catch promising breeze, his lightning
from one political hobby
TO another, his plagiarism of any nov.
city that he thinks may attract the
thoughtless-all these foreshadow the
instability OF his course should he
achieve the aim OF his ambition and
prove the menace that his very pres.
ence In the white House would be to
business interests.
Neither senate nor house could pre-.
vent him from doing lrremedabe
harm. and business men who had been
deceived into accepting him NJ harm
less would have abundant time and
leisure 10 repent.
What contrast between the candi.
late whose strongest plea Is that. II
slected, he would be unable TO do any
hing very bad because congress would
lot let him and sWi,ilam III. Taft. OF
whom President Mckinley said. ~
wv F'h'Ais X asAb w tut uliiplllltN Ot- |
'ause he Is the broadest and most un-
elhshly brave man | know aud be- |
'ause he VIII carry the spirit OF the
constitution OF the United States in his
'ery blood"-rart the statesman: held |
n esteem throughout the civilized
World; the Just Judge ana modest. sin
ere gentleman. "fNll." as one writer
lescril es hrL "of the knlghthood un-
er which the honor aud strength OF a
'reat nation must be shielded In hi
idlous peace ns In open war" Nobody
uggests that William H. Taft would
ecd n congress to watch him or that
ny net OF his wog.d be a wrong or
lenaGe 10 the business interests OF
lw abiding citizens. Nobody has any
oubt thar Taft as president would be
ulded solely by his sense OF duty,
'lthout regard Ia the bearing OF his
cts on his paliticai or personal for
ines. In brief nobody would dare
D present In behalf OF Taft the plea
ihich is at once an apology for and
n indictment OF Bryan.