Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-10-08

Democrats that the Bryan Of 1908 is
an entirely different Bryan from the
one whom the American people, with a
good deal of cheerfulness. defeated in
1896 and 1900. Mr.. Parker has been
saying this recently. So has Mr. Olney.
So have thousands of others who have
the excuse of honest ignorance for say
ing so, which Parker and Olney lack.
1t is easy to expose this sham of a
new and better Bryan in 1908. Where
is there the slightest reason for any
body to believe that Bryan has ever
changed ground on any of his old fol
lies? He is not mentioning 50-cent dol
lars in the present campaign. This is
one of the omitted issues" of the Den
yer platform, which Bryan says is as
binding as the declared issues. But
though Bryan is silent on debased dol
lars has he ever condemned them? Has
he ever recanted anything which he
said in their favor in 1896 and in 1900,
when he was a candidate, and also in
the st. Louis convention of 1904, when
he attempted to put them in the Parker
platform? If he has ever repudiated
anything which he said in advocacy of
paying the nations workers in dollars
whose purchasing power would be cut
in two the people have not heard of it.
From the day, in August, 1906, when
round the world to the eve of the Den
yer convention Bryan advocated gov
eminent ownership and operation OF
the railroads. This issue was left out
of the Denver platform because the
polffClans who were to run that con-
Vention told Bryan that it would be
fatal 70 him, and thus he omitted it
In his Graft of the platform. But does
he believe In it still? Has he ever re-
pud1ated hat folly? He squirms now
when this query is put to him, but
he does mo- give an honest answer.
He is not likely to give any. How about
the policy of cree riot which he urged
in his platform of 1896? Does he still
stick to that? hoes his threat of those
days to pack the Supreme Court in the
| interest of his f,ds if he should be
elected still stand? He denounced the
federal courts in 1896 for protecting
property and enforcing the laws Does
he still believe that tie courts deserve
condemnation for doing the work which
| they were created to dO7 What about
the initiative and Referendum, which he
| urged until recently, but IN which he
| is now silent? The people would like
| to have Bryan say something on those
| issues. Every one Of them would be
| likely to come up if he were elected
| Under the option which our law; could
be construed to give to a dishOnesS head
of the treasury to pay out silve: in
| stead Of gold in the redemption of
| greenbacks, would Bryan, as Preside,t
advise such a course?
| Those Democrats who pretend that
| they believe Bryan is now safe and
| sane ought to ask him to say some
| thing on those points The country
would like to get a little information
on them at first hand. There is not
| the slightest reason to believe, how
ever, that he will say anything on
them which will have any sincerity
| about it. He dare not drop his 90
| cent dollars for fear that he would
| lose all the Populists with whom he
| trained in 1892 when making speeches
| for Gen. Weaver. and who supported
| him to a man in 1896. He dare not
say a word against his free riot policy
| of 1896 lest he be deprived Of his
| Socalistic and anarchistic allies If
he should shift ground openly on gov
| eminent ownership and operation of the
| railroads he would give new point to
the assertions of his Democratic and
| Republican enemies that he is & wob-
| bier. That characterization, neyerthe-
less fits him admirably. He adopts
any folly which be imagines, for the
| moment, will win votes. and then aban-
dons it when he sees that it can
bring him no power. He Is constantly
| devising new fOllies. In the presidency
nobody could tell In the morning what
lunacy he would put forward that day.
Immediately after his nomination at
Denver some of his apologists, like ex-
Candidate Parker, said Bryan was
harmless because, if elected, the Rpub-
lican Senate would tie his hands. That
Is, the Republicans would prevent him
from doing the harm which ne would
attempt to do. But this sort of al ap-
peal is not calculated to win vote. l.
is the same sort of all appeal as th.t by
other apologists who said that ii the |
Democrats were to carry the country |
they would not attempt to put any
plank Of the Denver platform into the |
statutes. No such line of argumentwas |
ever before urged in favor of the elec- |
ton of a candidate foc Il great tfice |
since representative government made |
its first appearance in the world A |
man whom his friends say world not |
be as bad as he would want to be. be- |
cause his enemies would prevent him. |
is an excellent man to keep faI in the |
background. \ campaign of defense |
and apology never yet succeeded. either
in the United States or any otlnr coun-
try. Plus good deal of timidity. shut
fling and trickery. the Bryan of 1908
is the Bryan whom the country encoun-
tered in 1896 and 1900, and the treat |
ment which the people gave him then
will be dealt out to him this year
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
A Gilt-EdEed Candidacy.
The paper Of an individual business
man Of undnI1htad 1lrnhit1- nr,.i nL,iIit-r