The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-04-15
''Mr. Bryan
and the Party"

AIlQ TIC Z I W.
The esteemed Pensacola Journal
finds the Tfmes-Union is "rabid in
dignified way in opposition to William
JENNINGS Bryan" and thinks We owe
him an apology for saying. that the
gentleman has insisted slice 1896
that he is the only man among some
millions of democrats fit to be presi-
dent" We fear our contemporary is
merely making a verbal argument on
the word insist or that the speeches
and writings of Mr.. Bryan have not
been carefully studied by his cham
pion. OF course Mr.. Bryan has not
said in SO many words that he alone
is fit; we venture II say that no
reader understood US as meaning to
say he had. But he has acted and
spoken and written in that vein, ana
he has impressed that position on
many. Why did he demand the re-
tirement of Tagsart and others? Why
did his friends make so stout a fight
against Minnesota's right to send
delegation pledged to a favorite son
Why did he 'ibutt into the Kentucky
situation? We hope other instances
are not necessary. If we have erred
dn attaching this meaning TO the acCs
and speeches and writings since 1895,
will the Journal or Mr. Bryan say
now what other Democrat is worthy
TO lead Us in 1908 with the under
standing that Mr.. Bryan is RESPONSE
BILE for the judgment ?-Jacksonvi
Times Union.
No, The Journal was not making
a verbal argument on the word ''in-
sist.' What we said was sincerely
addressed to the merits of the point
at issue. We have carefully followed
the course of Mr.. Bryan in his public
speeches, his authorized interviews
and his writings in The Comnoner
since his last defeat for the pTesi-
dency, and nothing in all of them has
more strongly impressed us than his
selfeffacement as presidential as
pirant, as near as might be under
the circumstances, and his earnest
desire to promote the welfare and
prospects of the party, regardless of
his own ambitions.
It would have been intolerable affec-
tation on his part not to have recog
nized the fact that he was universally
regarded as the party leader and that
thob lNoNNAShAP PAANV0 WI NoaA
upon him which he could not honor
ably evade. All that he has said and
done has been in discharge of that
plain, imperative obligation to the
millions of democrats who have so
signally honored him in the past, and
the Instances cited by the Times
Union have been manifestly in the
line of that duty.
He went to Kentucky, not to help
himself, but his party, and on what
principle of simple justice or fair
reasoning can his personal ambitions
be charged with the fact that his de-
voted friends in Minnesota sought to
secure Bryan delegation from that
state? That is the way Bryan's
friends do business. because that is
magnificent personality inspires They
have weakness of that kind in near
" every state in the Union.
AS for Taggart, If he wasn't the
right man, it was Mr. organs duty as
the party leader to say so and use his
influence to Dust him. and it is a
strained and far-fetched conclusion to
ray that he did so to promote his own
candidacy.
The Times-Union might as well
get in line. There will be no bolt this
lime, and it viii be straight fight be-
tween the democratic party, with
Bryan as the nominee, and its old
time republican enemy. Our Jack
sonville contemporary must either
support Bryan or the republican
nominee unless it takes the middle of
the road and swings on to Tom Wat
son.