Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-13
In His Commoner Rounds Up
All the Democratic Candi-
dates, Except Minnesotan
EAST is ACCUSED OF PLOTTING
Except for This lnsinuation Editor
Bryan Ignores johnson = Says In
structed Delegations Are the Only
] Defense and That tho Masses Should
Rule--The Comn,oner's View.

Lincoln, Jan. 13.--William ]. Bryan
has answered the New York Worlds
boom for John A. Johnson, thru the
columns Of his Ccmmoner, in an edi-
torial that does not mention Johnson,
hut goes down tho line with the New
York World. 1t is not, says MI. cry
ans organ, O democratic paper II IS
plotting on behalf Of special inter-
ests" to defeat MI. Bryan.
The Worlds game, according to the
Commoner, is to fill the convention
with uninstructed delegates. who will
defeat the will Of the common people.
Therefore 1t advises the democrats TO
instruct their delegates along the line.
For Mr.. Bryan, Well, Mr.. Bryan has
said that he willrun II the democrats
want him, and IL the convention is
composed of instructed Bryan dele
gates, of course le can do nothing but
accept
That is the tone Of the Commoner
article The text Of it is as follows:
..The New York world appears to be
greatly disturbed lest Mr. Bryan would
force himself upon the democratic
party as candidate for president in
1908. This is all pretense, however,
unless the World editors are utterly
ignorant OF the sentiments and pur-
.ose of democrats.
"It is an insult to the intelligence OF
the party to say that any man or
coterie of men could, for selfish or
CLIQUE reasons. dictate the course of the
party in 1908 Certainly democrats
learned something in the experiences
OF 1904, when the New York World
and the special interests 1t represents
had their way, SO far as concerns con-
svention results Democrats know. too,
that at this time when the American
people are demanding relief from trust
imposition the candidate and the plat
form must be representative of the In
fterests of the masses. They know, too.
that the American people could ngS
more depend upon a presidential cam
dida.e chosen by the special interests
and the representatives of the Social
interests that seek to control demo-
scratic conventions any more than
they could depend upon presidential
candidate named by the republican
4 convention at the behest of the great
corporations.
The MASSES Should Rule.
4 mo one will contend, publicly, that
sthe public welfare should not be OF
paramount Importance in the framing
OF a platform and in the naming of
candidate No one will deny, pub
1 licly, that the masses, rather than the
classes, shouls rule. No one will say.
publicly, that the party should submit
to dictation. But in popular govern
ment SKINNED milk sometimes mas
3 querades as cream and sometimes the
most abject tools of monopolies pre-
tend an anxiety for the public good
and hide evil purposes by patriotic pre-
tentions.
while the, people have often been
4 deceived, at no time must the people
surrender the power of determining
7 their course. In the democratic party
particularly the ranL and file must be
the Judges; and this is all the more
true in this year when the American
people, grown weary Of the burdens
put upon them by monopolies thru the
aid and consent of the republican
party for relief; not merely encourage
rhent In finely written platforms, not
merely bright promises spoken by elo-
quent orators, but in the sincere
determination on the part of the party
5 leadership, and more than all upon the
part Of the candidate himself, to faith
& fully adhere to the promises made. The
rank and file of the democratic party
must, therefore, write the platform
and name the candidate. Mr.. Bryan
has not sought to influence the choice
other than to the extent of saying that
the discharge @. this important duty
shall not be relegated to individuals
with power to act to the. detriment of
the party and the public, and to the
advantage of the very elements from
whose expressions the American people
are at this very moment turning.
Every Man May Aspire.
at is the province Of every man
within the party to aspire to the hon
ors which the party has to bestow, but
IT Is the province of the party and
that means the rank and file-to shape
the party'ss course.
$50 far as the campaign of 1908 Is
Concerned Mr.. Bryan has only said that
Iii democrats wanted him to be the
4 candidate he would accept the nominal
'7tion and Go his duty.
"Mr. Bryan has said, however, just
as every other democrat whose sole in
terest is in the welfare of his party
and his country has said, that demo-
Gratis should rule and that the malign
influence with which Mr.. Roosevelt has
commended all too unsuccessfully in his
party shall not fasten itself upon the
(. democratic party.
"The New York World is not
democratic paper. It's advice to demo-
Gratis can not be relied upon. It's pro-
prietor, nor it's editors, has not the
slightest reason for personal unfriend-
Illness toward Mr.. Bryan. Their an
tipathy to the editor of the Commoner
lies deeper than anything of per-
sonal character can go. The purpose
of the World and the men who follow
Its leadership is not to build up the
democratic party nor to advance the
public interests; it is rather to see to it
that as a result of the election of 1908
the democratic party shall not become
the medium thru which a long suffer-
ing people shall find relief. Unin-
structed delegations is the purpose of
theWorld and its coterie of corporation
politicians. Trust your delegates will
be the plea to the rank and file of
democrats in various sections Let
your delegates be free to do the best
thing for the party and for the coun-