Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-16
BRYAN ASKED TO "vAcArE."
Minneapolis Editor Tells commoner
He Is Down and Out.

Minneapolis Editor Tells commoner
He Is Down and Out.
Minneapolis, June 16-In an open
letter, equivalent to eleven typewriter
pages, which is to appear in the June
number of the National Democratic
Magazine, Sam II. Wood, of Minneap-
oils, its editor, calls upon William Jen-
nings Bryan to step down from the
high seat of the democratic party, to
evacuate, to quit, to give somebody
else chance.
Terms are not spared by Mr.. Wood.
In his letter are applied ia Mr. Bryan
the words little narrow" unfair"
Jealous" unbalanced" hand
ed" dictator, bitter" Selfish" hun
CRY for position" blind to the truth"
under which leadership, he cries, the
democratic party was led as lamb to
the slaughter, slaves to selfish ambition
of w. j. Bryan"
"Oh, Mr.. Bryan he concludes, why
have you forced me to write such a
letter as this? Why have You allowed
these little jealous feelings to rankle
in your heart? Crush them before 1t is
too late They are unworthy of your
better self. You have done much for
your party; you can do much more if
you will only take that higher, more
dignif1ed position instead of groveling
along as you seem to want to do with
the political fighters"
The capstone of the letter is the
words the democratic party will
insist upon your retiring from the po-
lltical arena before the battle of 1912"
Mr.. Wood has good deal about
which to find fault with Mr.. Bryan.
He says he wrote Mr.. Bryan a kind,
truthful letter year ago, foretelling
his defeat, but Mr.. Bryan seemed
blind to the truth. He says that after
the nomination he fought for Mr. Bry-
anu to the last ditch, "altho," he
writes, Il was neglected by you and
snubbed by your brother Charles and
your conceited friends In return for
this faithfulness on my part you re-
paid me first by a slurring notice of the
National Democrat in your Commoner.
Your last action was to refuse a little
seven-line advertisement of the Ma
tional Democrat in your paper. Mr..
Bryan. 1t is almost beyond the COM
prehension of the ordinary American
citizen how a supposedly great man
can stoop to such little, narrow, unfair
actions"
Declaring that the democratic party
had done more for Mr.. Bryan than for
any other man in the history OF the
country. Mr.. Wood goes on: "In 1896
you were poor, common country law
yer. You made an inspiring address
which gave promise Of a great leader.
A few better balanced and more con-
sentative men withdrew from the sill
yer division. This is the battle in
which you lost the presidency. On
this question You showed the unbal-
ance of your makeup. The democratic
party paid the cost, but for you it laid
the foundation for fortune with pen
and oratory.''
After referring to the campaigns of
1900 and 1904. Mr.. Wood says of 1908:
You began months before the election
to get nominations. 1t is a notorious
tact that in one state alone twenty-on
out of the twenty-four delegates went
to Denver bound by Instructions to vote
for you but against their personal con-
victions. Many other states were in
similar condition. and yet, altho
tried TO show you these things ON June
in the kindest political letter ever
written by mortal man, you could not
see 1t.
1T would seem that after all these
things you would relinquish your de-
mands upon the party, but the late pa
pers tell US that you propose to stay in
politics, and your actions in refusing
the little seven-line advertisement in
The Commoner shows that you are
fearful OF Its influence and that you
propose to keep your iron hand on the
throttle of the democratic organiza-
ton even thru the campaign of 1912.
Mr. Bryan. with all due respect for
oratorical powers. want to say to you
right here that the democratic party
will insist on your retiring from the
political arena before the battle of 1912
begins. The party will continue to look
up to you for advice and counsel, if
you will let it, but it will not consent
to your dictation any longer"
Mr. Wood says Mr.. Bryan seems
surprised at his last defeat, but that
the causes of 1t were, first, that the
people were afraid Of him; second, that
ne mtstook the band wagon noise of the
Roosevelt administration for real re-
form; third, that he sought to arraign
class against class in removing the re-
straining hand Of the courts, and
fourth, because the people wanted
peace. at
Great men," he says. lack the
threatening manner Of Theodore Roose-
velt and the passionate William ].
Bryan. Abraham Lincoln was great,
and in looking over the people Of the
south who were rebelling against the
nation, he said with bowed head, Their
burdens our burdens, their sorrows our
Sorrows and with his great loving
heart he kindly, but firmly, cut out the
cancer.
In conclusion, the democratic party
wants to try new leader. 1t wants
to modify and change its plans slightly.
but in such a manner as to remove ali
doubt as to its ability, It's practicable
ity its sincerity and It's business to In
sure period OF peace. progress ana
prosperity under Its administration,
Wien that Is done the people win en-
trust II with power, nat before. TO en-
able y to do this. you, Mr.. Bryan, must