The Washington times., 1912-01-07
ON THE REHASHING OF
ANCIENT WRITINGS.

volunteer ADVISERS OF Democracy, al
most all of them gentlemen or journals
that have been wont to froth at the
mention of William Jennings Bryan,
are suddenly much concerned at dis.
covery of an alleged letter written by
Woodrow Wilson, urging that Mr..
Bryan be forced out of the Democratic
party. The offense of writing in such
vein appears especially violent to
people who have for some sixteen
years been campaigning along the same
lines. They find DR.. Wilson peculiarly
culpable and unworthy for having done
the very thing they themselves have
been doing.
The alleged Wilson letter to Adrian
H. Joline is quoted as suggesting
several years ago-that some polite
procedure be devised to force Mr.. Bryan
out of the Democratic party. Now the
letter is being produced with much
mystery and dramatic effect, ready for
springing at the psychic moment when
Mr.. Bryan shall reach Washington, in
the hope that it will convince him that
his duty to his party and his self
respect lies in fighting Wilson.
There can be no doubt that if Mr..
Bryan shall take this view he will per-
form most acceptable service to people
who have been his own as well as DR..
Wilson's assiduous and insistent
enemies. The people who want to de-
feat Wilson could execute no more
effective coup than to array Wilson
and Bryan against each other.
Mr.. Bryan, however, is quite a prac-
teal politician. Four years ago he
managed to control his prejudices
against Charley Murphy, Tom Taggart
and Roger Sullivan, despite that he
had been fighting them for long time.
He was in favor of getting together;
and it is not difficult to believe that
in the present exigency he will see the
virtues of that same policy. If Mr..
Bryan were to make it part of his
policy and program to read out of party
councils all the Democrats who at
one time or another have openly or
covertly opposed his leadership of the
party, it is safe venture that he
would disqualify so many of the men
who will SIT as delegates in this years
convention as to make wo-thirds
majority for any nominee impossible.
Moreover, DIR. Wilson has demon
strated an engaging way of admitting
things of this sort, and pleading the
innocence of youth and inexperience in
extenuation. He has been writing
books during good part of his mature
years, and from time to time enemies
have sought to embarrass him by quo
tations therefrom. The effort has not
been very successful. AS a rule that
effort does not much affect the suf.
frages of people. The right to change
ones mind is conceded by most people
who realize that its denial would put
most of them out of business.
Theodore Roosevelt had been a right
prolific author before he became a first,
class political figure, and had INDUCED
caustic comment on men and affairs
But efforts to injure him by quota
ton from his books never accomplished
much, as may be demonstrated by a
casual study of the statistical results
of elections in which he has appeared
on the ticket of his party.
The peanut species of politics is less
and less in demand nowadays, and TN
attempt to fit prejudices and opinions
of a decade ago into the mosaic of pres
ent-day conditions is difficult one
Everybody comedies that in the last
few years the country as a whole has
gone progressive;" are the individuals
who compose the citizenship to be de
MED the privilege of going progress
sive?" If so, both parties will be com
PEELED to drive out large share Of
their prospective voting strength.