Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-09-14
THE NATIONAL CANDIDATES
COMPARED.

"'Ni' nearly SUMS up the pOlltical
situation in general and the sal
'ent differences between Bryan ana
Tat in particular than an editorial
in the st. Louis Mirror, OF which
William Marion Reedy is the brill
liant editor.
He says:
National politics is pretty dull,
except for the brilliance OF Mr.. Bry-
ans speeches. Beside them the ut
terances OF Taft are verbose twad-
die and more or less d singenious
argumentative gymnastics. Mr.
Taft is cumbersome. and he is fore
ed to more or less gpalpable stra1-
dies upon every issue. He has to
blow hot and cold un everything
from the tar!f to labor. Bryan's
speeches are pleasing i'm form and
OF a sound substance. He lodges
nothing. He stands I'm the open
He talks for his party. Mr.. Taft
says one word for his party and ten
for President Roosevelt. He is COM
servative in one-half OF sentence
and radical in the other. And he Is
unfortunately long. The public are
bored by Taft. They are stimulated
by Bryan, and Bryan is most dis
tinctly making the pace for his COM
petitor. But the struggle in the
different states doesn't seem to CEN
| ter upon the claims of the pres,den-
tial candidates. In New York, Ohio
and Indiana the people are concern
4 with local issues more or less
relating to questions OF morals. In
New York II lis Hughes and gam
bling. The politicians are not in
clined to say much of weight be-
yond the usual perfunctory claims
There is no decided set of people
one way-or the other. except in so
far as Mr.. Bryan seems to excite
| thoughtful people. The fear of
him that was so manifest in 1896
has wholly passed. He is not
sensation. He is regarded serious
sidered for the intrinsic value
There are Democrats. alleged, who
are out with declarations for Taft
You can trail each one to hts lair
IN some present or prospective cor
poration job. But the Republicans
who are going to vote for Bryan are
not of the talkative kind. They
| don't tell of their intentions. And
there are more Bryan Republicans
than there are Taft Democrats, be-
cause there are more men who
know that Taft represents recess
sion from Roosevelt policies than
there are men who believe that the
sane and travelled experienced AMI
sobered Bryan is a menace to the
country. Mr. Bryan is not lea ling
in the present race, but is much
stronger than ever before with the
silent vote. The people doubt Taft.
In the west he runs as Roos evelt's
heir. In the east he runs as one
who will break away slowly but
surely from Rooseveltism. Mr..
Bryan represents Rooseyc;t's good
| intentions. plus Democratic logic
and method. He is no lJnger re-
garded as fire brand. He - AZ
conservative as Taft preten Is TO he
In one section and as re- Heal as
| Taft Processes to be in another.
Bryan is himself He is no man S
man. Half of Taft's best assets
are Bryanite The other half are
valueless in that they are an i'm
| piled unfaithfulness to the common
good in both Organism and Roose-
velt.sm.
The signs of the times indicate
that these contentious are true and
the reasoning is known to be sound
| There can be no doubt that the
country at large no longer distrusts
Mr. Bryan. That he has grown and
travel and experience is an accept
ed fact He is able to lay down a
definite line of policy with the GER
| ta!nty that i'm expressing IL he is
| giving expression to the sentiments
of his party. and that If elected he
will be able to unite his party on
those policies for which he stands
Mr. Taft is under suspicion from
many quarters. He is not only tn 2
residuary legatee of the policies of
another but there are grave appre-
| tensions that he will allow the her
itage to run down IN his hands. He
being entirely too popular with the
| friends OF reaction and recession.
l. Mr. Bryan is making an agrees
sive and vigorous campaign. He IS
able 10 make clear-cut and definite
statements, and he stands upon the
platform which Is in itself clear cut
and definite.
Mr. Taft, on the othcr hand, has
TO keep explaining and amending
| the platform utterance OF his party.
while other prominent Republicans
take the position that such utter
| ances are not binding on the party.
SO In logic and in fact the Dem
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