The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-25
SPEAKING PLAINLY.


 The Richmond NewS Leader does not mince words in discussing the probability of Mir. Bryan's nomination in 1912. A few days ago the NebraA- kan was quoted as saying that if the Democrats want him to be their can- didate again he will accept as . mat ter of stern duty. To The News Lead CT this means that he will spend the next four years featuring and writing with view to keeping himself eon- stantiy before the public. It also means that the Bryan element will try to force his nomination and that both he and his supporters will en.' deavor to frishten away any oshsr available candidate whom the pemo- crats might wish to nominate
 But to The News Leader NRryah's statement means much more. Tt means" 1t says. that some of us who are tired of Mir. Bryan's coarse self and arrogant seihshness are determined that If he accepts an- other nomination he shall do 1t with his eyes open and that If any ele- ment of the party insists on tender ing the nomination to him 1t shall know what to expect' Mir. Bryan h said to be bitter over his last defeat; but as a matter of cold fact. 1t Is the Democratic party that should be bit ter and not Mir. Bryan. He uses the party as an advertising method, a huge, animated billboard to keep be- fore the public himself as a lecturer and a newspaper editor. Each defeat for him means additional enrichment. more dollars into his pocket. what ever it may mean for the party and Its faithful members. Therefore. mo- tice should be served now by all the Southern newspapers and political leaders who have the nerve to say what their common sense and party loyalty requires that they shall say that if the Democratic party organiza- ton ever again is guilty of the crin- inal folly of nominating Mir. Bryan for President, these free newspapers and men of the South will refuse to fol- low and will reserve the right to sup port real democrat or a Southern nominee. or even a satisfactory Re- publican. against him."
 We do not think that any Southern Democratic newspaper should go so far as advise supporting a Republican in order to defeat Mir. Bryan. We have had enough of Republicanism of late years without trying to bring more of it on the country and that is one of the strong reasons why true Democrats should oppose MT. Bryan's nomination. for that nomination would mean another term of Republican rule beyond the possibility of doubt. It Is the general belief that Mir. Taft will give the country a much more creditable and conservative adminis- tration than Roosevelt has done, and if the people would not elect Bryan to get rid of Roosevelt there is not the slightest probability that they would elect him to get rid of Taft if he wants second term.
 And so, while we cannot go as far as our Richmond contemporary does and counsel the support of a Repub- lican against Bryan, we are unalter- ably of the opinion that the solid Dena4 ocrats of the country, and especially of the South, should stand firmly and unequivocally against Mir. Bryan's nomination. We believe he wantsE2t expects 1t and is all the time working for 1t and we consider it the duty of Democrats to make 1t plain that we want no more of him as tifeir cand.- date. He cannot possibly be elected, and his nomination not only means Democratic defeat but Democratic dis organization.