Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1909-08-26
Official County Pape,
HARMONY-OR WHAT?

ueSOth are Oelug OllleO CIOoc tOkCsuoF
In the Chautauqua days. Sometimes,
when two circuses are running close
together ON the same lines, or parallel
lines, there is a cut in prices, but no
cut rates have yet been announced by
Democratic showmen this year. Sun
day, while Mr.. Bryan was speaking In
Pana. ILL.,, Gov. johnson was speaking
10 Shelbyville, not many miles away
~ the crow flies, and as the Big Four
Railroad runs. That lie, or once was,
Democratic section OF Illinois, and 1t
would be interesting to know whether
the Democrat who is never defeated
or the one who is never elected drew
the larger audience. In the absence
Of turnstile statistics, all we may do is
speculate, and even this was not pos
sibie until lately. Not until after Mr..
Bryan's third defeat and Gov. John
sons third election in Republican
state, was it possible to inquire
Whether the winner could be . draw
Ing card a. against the loser In q
pemocratic part OF the country where
the Democrats have seemed to like
losing better than winning, and where
they flourish better out than In.
There may be further opportunities
for getting something like exact data
on this important point. The Bryan
and johnson itineraries continue, for
the present, to run close together.
From Pana Mr.. Bryan jumped to Des
Moines and from Shelbyville Gov.
johnson jumped to Fort Dodge, Ia.
~ Is farther cry from Fort Dodge to
Des Moines than from Pana to Shell
byville. The Des Moines River covers
: hundred miles In Its little snakelike
Mindings between them and nobody
could make the distance less than
ninty miles, ahorse or afoot. And the
Intervening spaces are still filled with
Republicans as thickly as the land be-
tween Shelbyville and Pans was once
filed with Democrats. Republicans
may be more willing to pay their
money to see Democratic winner
than Democrats are, particularly in
Iowa, where such winners are scarce
and are regarded as curiOsities. The
point Is that, since Bryan and johnson
are trailing each other a. closely
~ they are just now, 1t Is worth know
Ing which OF them is drawing most.
The point sticks, In spite of the fact
that, on the surface, they are not rum
ming in opposition.
The surface view presented itself
At the Union Station in St. Louis Sun
day night. The two great Democrats
met there by chance, each OF his way
FROM Illinois to fill his Iowa engage
ment. Nh. Bryan slapped the gov
ernOr of Minnesota on the back In
hearty, old-fashioned, Democratic
way, and the governor Of Minnesota,
turning around quickly, cried out,
.sHello" Ia the cordial manner which
used to characterize Democrats when
they we're unit in thinking that the
Surest way OF fo0ling the most Of the
people the most OF the time was with
the tariff question. It at once became
evident that these old-time Demo.
cratic modes of salutatiOn were sig
nificant. They forboded an effort
\ to return to the tariff question a. the
paramount issue of coming campaigns.
The country has been advised that
there has been bad blood between
Bryan and johnson, as between every
other two Democrats of high rank
who might be name.t. Mr.. Bryan has
given utterance to expressions which
have left no doubt 40 to his resent
ment of the Minnesoan's winning
streak and of his permitting the use
of his name in connection with the
Denver nomination last year. But, in
plain view of an opportunity fer get
ting back to another tariff campaign,
with all of its possibilities for bedevil-
line the public mind, his desire for
harmony overcame him and he slap
ped johnson on the back-the high
sign OF Democratic fellowship. John
son responded In kind, and In jiffy
there was reporter on hand, taking
down the prediction OF restored
party harmony and Of Democratic
tidal wave next year and Ia 1912. They
left together II : stateroom for Des
Moines, both seeing the wave, but
each, no doubt. seeing different man
riding on lie crest. These are Mid
summer Nights, immortalised q
nights Of dreams In which Puck said,
What foola these mortals b." Hut