The morning journal-courier., 1908-07-13
THE CAMPAIGN.

MT. Taft and advisers appear to sense accurately the intentions of Mir Bryan and his advisers as the selection of the battle ground in the impending cam paign. The New England states, New York and New Jersey will virtually be abandoned by the Democrats. and 1t will not be surprising if Maryland is given comparatively little considera- tion. The nomination of Mir. Kern of Indiana gives formal notice that the middle west IS to be the center of the conflict The south will, Of course, look out for itself for reasons remote to the purposes of the campaign.
 The elimination of the eastern states from the plan of battle agreed upon by the minority party, and necessarl- ly acquiesced in by the party in pow er, Illustrates as nothing could illus trate better the temperamental differ ences between practically all of the people this side of the Mississippi and those beyond its borders Here politl- cal passions are stirred with greater difficulty just as commercial under takincs move with a larger sense Of the responsibility involved. Some wag philosopher has said that an eastern error of judgment was western wis- dom and vice versa, and while we should hesitate to subscribe to that doctrine, there Is enough to 1t fin this instance to explain the deliberate elim- nation of the eastern states from the plans of the two great parties, The fight must be fought among those states which respond quickly and spontaneously to a kind of m appeal which we have outgrown, The sport ing instinct, so to speak, Is less alert in the states which politically want to know exactly what they are doing be- fore they de anything at all
 With the battle ground moved to the middle west, it is conceivable that we in the east will know little of the pro- gross of the campaign except as we learn of 1t through the power and cir- cnlation of the press, We shall hear conflicting views of what is taking place, and they will be apt to imprese us very much as news of battles fought miles away impress us, in the end compelling us to await the final line up of the opposing armies to feel the dis tress of defeat or the inspiration of victory. Previous to 1898 the cam | paign managers estimate carefully the chances of carrying New York, Con Inecticut, New Jersey and Indiana as essential to the control of the cleo | toral college. These were battle grounds upon which the voters west of the Mississippi gezed in that spirit of misunderstanding which Is now like fly to become ours In those days the entrance of delegations from these etates into the national convention was awaited eagerly by tho delegates | from all of the other states in the Union, As recently as l9o2 the fate i of David B. Hill was not decided against New York until Connecticut reached Chicago.
 Politically the star of the empire has l moved west and whether 1t will ever return to the east again depends upon conditions and circumstances. which Is as yet given 10 no man to see. The west is not always to be as quick on the trigger as 1t Is today It, too, will soon have to meet the great economic problems and social demands which spring rom commercial growth. IL, too will have to feel the eoberine influence of responsibility Mir. Bryan a breezy product of the west, Is less emotional than he was and more sur, to judge of events and men with growing deliberation. We do not fo, a moment underestimate the stimu- lant of western thought nor overvane the conservatism of the east. Each is a powerful factor in the development of the country, but it would be never theless a most unfortunate thing if the future should fail to find middle course for the two sections to trnye in peace and contentment. Likely enough this very campaign, with its
 fighting headquarters in the middl,
 west may open up the way. The issu, is well drawn and practically settled
 in the east. It is for the west to con
 slider and determine it.
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