Valdez daily prospector., 1912-02-07
THE BRYAN BURDEN.

a sentence more creditable to his political Judgment, or one that re- hected a spirit. of higher loyalty 10 the Democratic party, than that contained in his letter to MT. Joline: "Would that We could do something, at once dignifled and effective, to knock MT. Bryan once and for all into a cooked hat" Proof of the SOundness of Mir. Wilson's political judgment at the time this letter was writ ten, in August, 1907, is put dis tinctly before the eyes of all men by Mir. Bryan'S fussy and harm ful activities at the meeting of the Democratic national commit lee in Washington. Mir. Bryan is not a member of that committee; he obtained admission to it's seS- siOns by virtue of a proxy. But r was impossible for him to keep away. Perhaps 1t would not be right to say that he ought to have kept away, since undoubtedly he still represents the views of some part of the Democracy. But the very fact that he could not keep away and that hr is a represent tative of a faction of the DcnpOc- racy is today the chief source of weakness of the Democratic party and a cause of division.
 MultitudcS of Democrats who would rejoice tO see inc DcmOc- racy in power again. who believe that there should be q transfer of executive authority and who would Naliantly and confidently support Democratic candidate thiS year, are diShcaI tened and turned away by the continued prominence of Bryan and the cv- erlaSting shadow that Bryanism casts upon the party. The com mittcc by a most emphatic major ily voted down the motion Mr. Bryan made haste t0 make at it's meeting. The members whose recognition Inc opposed were re- cognizrd. We have no doubt that a very great majority of the men of sense and sound Judgment who may br called leaders of the party dislike the perpetual intrusion of Mr. Bryan, resent if. and in their hearts drvoutly wish Ihal he would bctakr himself io Ncbras- ka and stay there. They know that. SD long as Mr. Bryan is prominent in the party councils, the Democrats who left Inc party in 1896 cannot he persuaded iO give it full allegiance, that they can have but small confidence in it OF it's leadership.
 Gov. Wilson's wish that MT. Bryan might once for all be knocked into a cooked hal is one fO Dc echoed by every man of true Democratic faith, but there is an obstacle. Mr. Bryan is man of astounding rcsilicncy. The de- feat of 1896 would have knocked any ordinary man into a cooked hat. and have made an end of him, but Mr. Bryan came up smil- ing and unabashed, just as the circus clown r"c0vrrS from the mimic disasters of the ring. And two subsequent defeats made SO little impression upon him that he still bcstirS himself in Dem Ocralic councils as though he were a power for good, and not one of unmixcd evil.
 He has fastened upon the Dem ocratic party like a disease. The chief trouble With the party tQ- day is that SD many men who are Democrats at heart and would bt glad to give that party their Ioy- al support believe the disease to bc one that Democracy cannot throw or, that it has eaten into it's vitaIs, and is incradicable. Voting down Mr. Bryan in com Hittcr meeting is not enough. ! he absolute rejection of the man and cf his cOunscls could alone suH:Cc ln restore the party lo its cid-Iiu' strength. It is only the iin i'd ' ho shrink from the con sequences of knocking Bryan into cooked hat once and for all. Thcy poirt out that he does rep resent the progressive element of the Democracy, and that if Democrat of the old faith were to be nominated for the presidency, the story of 19Oi would be re- told. Mir. Bryan might mako few languid speeches for the caD- didate, but the Bryan, following