The bee., 1908-10-01
GERMAN VOTER CONSTANT
DOESN'T JUMP OVER NIGHT FROM
HONESTY TO ITS OPPOSITE.
Childish to Assert That This Conser-
Vative Element Can Be Converted
to the Bryanitic Idea.
CFrom the German Herold of septem-
Der 5, 190S.)

y
Der 5, 190S)
About two months ago one OF our
so-called prominent" fellow citizens
took flyer to Lincoln, Neb., to Mr..
Bryan, in order to tell him as a spon-
taneous messenger of the Democratic
party, that he Bryan would be sim
ply impossible as a Presidential can
didate, and that, therefore, he
| (Bryan) would have to resign his as
pirations in that direction. Not that
Bryan the man we're a Presidential
impossibility. The man is unObjec-
tionable. He is personally quite an
honorable gentleman. An excellent
husband and father and Granny.
A dutiful citizen, who certainly takes
a very lively interest in public affairs
1t was the Bryan idea, the Bryan
principles that our prominent fellow
citizen objected to. He considered
that idea and these principles as a
deadly incubus for the party, which
our prominent fellow citizen
wanted to save at any price. There
fore the flyer expense for that trip to-
Lincoln, Neb.
This same prominent fellow citi-
zen" has to-day again called upon
Mr.. Bryan. But since that first eXpe-
dition for the rescue of the party a
new light has come upon him. No lon
ger does the progenitor Of Bryanlsm
appear to him as the unavoidable ruin
of the party, as a short eight weeks
| ago. On the contrary, only under the
sign of the Bryanitic idea will the par
ty be led to victory. On the strength
of his own and personal observations.
our prominent fellow citizen prom
ised to his sudden friend and leader
glorious victory for him and his par
ty. But more than that he has given
to Mr.. Bryan the assurance that the.
| Germans of the country would, al
most unanimously, support him.
Fain would we ask Mr.. Herman
Ridder, this our esteemed fellow citi-
zen: "Say from whence you owe this
strange intelligence" From whence
in particular his intelligence about
the character of the German voter3
Is he of that kind to jump over night
from one principle to its extreme Op-
posite? Will the German voter ever
believe that to be gold what yesterday
or weeks ago he has rejected as de-
preciated metal?
Since that astounding change OF
soul and sense of Mr.. Ridder a great
er one that he has spoken from be-
yond the grave. He whom Mr.. Rid
der's own organ, on his bier, has glO-
rified as the greatest OF his time and
of future times. He whose word for
half a generations time, and up to
barely eight weeks ago, has been a.
gospel for Mr.. Riders organ. He
whose strong and tenacious fidelity
to principle has made him many
friends among the Germans, Grover
Cleveland. Still from his deathned
he has warned his party of Bryanism,
that destructive force" which has
left of the Democratic party only its,
decaying fragments. He who, with
the prophetic inspiration of the death
bed, predicted that the country could
not fail to elect to Office that upright,
faithful man, Judge Taft.
Have all the Germans who have al
ways honored Grover Cleveland and
have followed his leadership-haye.
they also been converted to "the de-
structive force of Bryanism?" And
with them all the other German vot--
ers of other political creed than that
of Grover Cleveland or of-Herman
Ridder?
THE German vote almost unani--
mously in support OF Bryan. How
childish. Not even the tenth part or
Mr.. Riders own readers. Because
| the OLnGI Hlnt-LCnNuS VI NhNAh he'C
for twenty-four years heard and read
the very opposite of what Mr.. Ridder-
would like now to impose upon them
Still less those ninety of each nun
dred Of the German voters OF this
country who have never heard OF Mr.
Ridder nor his organ.
There is fear on my part OF being
misunderstood in what am about TO
say, but surely the fair-minded man
must realize when he considers my
attitude toward my own party, all now
a matter of immutable record, that it-
is prompted by sense OF simple talr--
ness. Personally and officially | have.
had the opportunity of knowing many
things concerning Mr.. Taft that were
not a matter OF general knowledge
and with a keen interest l have
watched his large share in the con-
duct of our National affairs in very
recent years. His excellence as a
Federal Judge in Cincinnati is some
thing not to be underestimated or
oyeremphasized, for should he come
TO the Presidential chair the qualities.
which made him judge of high abil-
ity. which / know him to have been.
will be the most needful to him as.
President of the United States. His,
high ideals of honesty and of relative
Justice, his great capacity for severe
labor, and his humorous wisdom in
the face of the serious problem are at
tributes equally valuable and COM
mandatory to a people seeking him in
whom they may repose the trust OF
their collective interests while they
turn their increased attention to-
their pressing individual demands
Qrover Cleveland's last word to the
American people.
Mr.. Bryan says the Democratic
platform is binding as to what It.
L. y. ~ IL.