Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-03-11
NONSENSE FROM NEBRASKA.


Mr. Bryan has filed his objections TO
Senator McCarren's description OF the
d. mocratic situation. What the senat tor
alleged was:
That, except in one or two instances.
the party had taken the wrong side Of
every question since the Civil War:
That the patriotism Of the country
was nrrayed against 1. because OF its
attitude upon issues following the con-
fict with Spain:
That anti-expansion lined up the
young American vv:ers in opposition to
IT; and
That it was about time for tho party
to put itself In position the voters
VI ould indorse
To make matters worse. the senator
added that while he had worked hard
for the national candidates. he had done
SO In the belief that he was pursuing
forlorn hope. This prompts the Com
Moner to say:
The Democratic party Is entitled TO
leaders who are in sympathy with the
voters % the party Someone has de-
fined leader as one who Is going in the
anne direction as the people. but little
ly, courageously or successfully lead
who is going in an opposite direction
! from those whom he leads Tie men who
fght and die in the trenches are en-
titled to leaders whose hearts are in the
| fight and who believe that tho success
Of the party will be good for the coun-
| try.
| Use this parag graph as key and the
| Bryan mind can be unlocked. Nothing,
| for instance. could be more nonsensical
than talk about what sort OF leaders
/ party is entitled to. Its leaders. good,
lad or Indifferent. are OF Its own choice.
| It confers title. It selects the command
crs under whom It will go into the
trenches to fight. and this 1t does In
| the exercise OF right interference with
| which Mr.. Bryan would be among the
first to resent. on three occasions II has
placed the Nebrasl,an at the head OF the
line of march. lie knows with what re-
suits.
The definition OF a leader as one going
in the same direction as the people
but a little bit ahead, will pass muster
Perhaps Mr.. Bryan is willing to stand OF
fall by it. On neither OF the three occas'
ions alluded to has he been going IN
the same direction as the people. mean
ing thereby majority OF them On the
contrary. he has been going the other
way. Nor could anything be more incon
gruous than to describe him as ever
having been a little bit ahead OF th'
country. As a matter OF fact. he Is al
ways far behind.
Long after the free silver panacea
so~called. exploded, he chung to It. Tit
procession passed on. leaving him In
museum, from which he emerged &c
wave the anti-expansion flag more O.
less frantically In the breeze. On wen
the procession 1ust the same. In mel
ther OF these cases could he. BY nm
stretch Of the Imagination. have beef
subjected to greater modification. bu
he has yet to be reminded OF what i
even more humiliating
Some years ago Mr.. Bryan under
took to say that. while some trust
were better than others, all were bad
Hence he would, ne declared had h
the power. follow them into every moo
and corner OF the country and extcr
inmate them. He was then OF the opin
Ion that he was more than little bi
ahead-that he was far in advance
There ts, Of course. scant necessity 10
adding that determination has not take
place. According to all accounts. tn
trusts are very much alive.
II Is difficult to, modernize Mr.. Bryar
hut II ne will read what Alexonde
Latham Bell has contributed to the eur
rent issue Of the Worlds Work, no ma
once more emerge from his museum. MI
: bell makes II clear thas combination
: have come - the result OF process
Of evolution. natural and unavoidab''
= They have coe because combinauo
means peace. and competition warfare
They have come because "competitio
means mob, without organization. an
weak for effective work; combination
an organised force. powerful and Ell
Q Gent"