The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-07-15
TAFT VS. BRYAN.


paign If there ever was a straight
appeal to reason it is now. The ques-
ton is Taft VS. Bryan. The campaign
is to large extent q personal one.
At the last analysis the platforms Of
the parties are much alike. Free
from responsibility the democratic
party is more at liberty to be radical.
to make rash promises, to tell what
it would have done had it had
the chanca.
The republican party. already
charged with responsibility must
make no promises it cannot keep, and
it must stand upon its actual record.
not its imaginary one.
Despite the frenzy of partisans in
convention assembled Mr.. Bryan has
lost much of the glamour attached to
his name in the nineties. His hallow
is slightlu furnished in places. He
has dreamed too many dreams which
he has afterwards admitted were but
dreams.
The republican party has record.
record in which mistakes have been
made. but which has been in the
main glorious one. Save for the
period of the Civil War. the last
twelve years of republican history has
been its best.
AS. under the direction of the Re-
publican party. human slavery was
abolished, so under the leadership
of the Republican party is the fight
against industrial slavery now being
waged.
Personally we accord the highest
honor to the old time Abolitlonist.
The men of fire. who know no COM
promise. who went through the land
raging against iniquity.
Nevertheless it was not the Abo-
lition party which was the chosen
instrument to complete the great
work. 1t was given to broader. a
saner party, the Republican party. to
do this.
Do not misunderstood. We are
proud of the Abolition insanity. but
the fact remains, that it was not until
broader National party came to life
that much was accomplished.
In the same way we are glad there
are some "cranks' in the world today.
We are glad there are organs and
Debs and Mitchells and LaFollettes.
Their mission is to agitate, to stir
the popular mind to thought. and,
later. under wise leadership, tc
action. AS an agitator. Bryan is il
his element He dreamed dream
of free silver and out of it came. moi
free silver, but wider understanding
of the currency question and we be-
lieve ultimately, saner and bette,
laws. 1t was for Bryan TO dream
to proselyte. to go forth as veri
table John the Baptist, but the full
fillment could not. wisely. have beel
left to his hands.
AS to Imperialism. we believ
Bryan did much good in bringing tn
Nation back from thirst of tongues
and of Empire. 1t was his attitud
which urged the republican party t
declare for the ultimate freedom o
the Islands and to shape the admins
tration Of their affairs to this end
Nevertheless it was to Taft that tn
practical work was given and tn
Filipinos to-day are much better Of
than had Bryan and Bryan's Utopia
ideas governed them.
In the matter of tariff. Bryan's FIRE
trade theories have battered down tn
idea Of the sacredness of particula
schedules and have aided in bringin
the republican party to a sure decla,
alton for such revision as shall benef
the consumer without injuring tn
laboring man.
Bryan's TRADES against the raj
roads, his dream of Government OWL
ership, have stirred the publi
thought and have materially aided
the actual reforms which have bee
instituted by the republicans unde
Roosevelt and which will be continue
by the republicans under Taft.
In other words Bryan occupies
useful field He has been of valr
to the Nation and to you and mi
We have studied more deeply becaus
there was Bryan, we have though
more along dozen different lines h'
cause his fiery eloquence goaded TT
sluggish brain cells into action.
Bryan is stirring pillow
He is good stirring pillow.
His words have prepared the sol
and dug out the weeds and loosene
the roots of prejudice and partisan
ship.
But as a Harvester
Give US Taft.
DeWitt's Witch Hazel Salve