Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-06-14

| HihNNiNiA FtlbHtC INIT TINS lS HOA II ut
II ought not TO be. Mr.. Bryan has
with respect to the present interna'
tional crisis, single duty. That is tC
keep still.
! The duty OF plain speech he has
discharged already He was right IN
| feeling that he owed il both to him.
self and to his fellow-countrymen tc
state the character OF his objections
to the policy OF the government
Without such statement the grounds
Of his action might have been grave
| ly misapprehended Mr. Bryan has
| stated his views with clearness and
completeness. There is not man, wo-
| man nor child In the nation who cares
| anything about public affairs who
| does not understand the essentials of
his position. There can be but one
| object in further utterance--propa'
ganda, He has fully explained him
self. He can now only try to convert
other people. Has Mr.. Bryan right
to do this under the circumstances
This is a question he ought gravely
to consider.
We believe he has not.
The foreign relations of the United
States are in the hands OF President
Woodrow Wilson. Up till Tuesday MI.
Bryan was his chief adviser. He was
and is still his familiar friend. He
has thus had every opportunity, both
official and personal. to win the pres
ident over TO his view. Yet that view
appeared to the president so unten-
able that he chose to lose his secre-
tary of state In an hour when a unit
ed front to the world was of the
gravest importance to the administra-
ton rather than adopt ii. The only
possible way, therefore, in which Mr..
Bryan can make converts for his
views is by turning men against the
president. by undermining the admin
lstration in the confidence of the
country
Has he a right to do that?
Looking at the matter for a mo-
ment from the standpoint of mere re-
suits, what could be more futile than
success in this effort If Mr.. Bryan
could win it? Does anyone who knows
Woodrow Wilson believe that hes in
such an hour, could be swerved from
the straight line Of his duty as he
conceives it by a popular campaign
carried on by former member or
his cabinet who resigned in order that
he might fight the policies of his
chief? If Mr.. Bryan could win the
assent OF millions to his views, what
would he accomplish by leaving the
president to go on in a course of &C
ton to which he was impelled by the
strongest sense of duty with pres
tige weakened and popular support
impaired?
AS man of conscience, Mr.. Bryan
II. l.. IA.
ton right without reference to his
own opinion of the presidents policy
He knows that when the United states
elects IA man to the position of chieI
executive it commits its fate to him
within the term and the limits OF
his official authority-for better or
worse. If Mr.. Bryan had been the
nominee OF the Baltimore convention
in 1912 and were today president the
fate of the nation, in the momentous
questions to be decided, would depend
on Mr. Bryan's foresight Mr. Bryan's
wisdom. Mr. Bryan's craftsmanship. 1t
would be too late for the wiseacres to
discuss the possibility that some
course other than the one upon which
Mr.. Bryan had set the keel of the
ship might have afforded better
tildHiiti AhAVhcn Ail' idHA"ot eN AARfhf
the way would be chosen and the ma
ton committed to 1t. If Mr.. Bryan
were president in this hour pregnant
with dangers there would be no way
to help him or save the nation by
erticsing him. by lighting him, by
turning men against him. If Mr. Bfy-
an were president today true patriotsI
everywhere would forget past doubts
il they had entertained them-past
criticisms, il they had formulated
them. They would unite In quiet 10y
atty to his leadership and support
him with their voices and their pray
ers. And the man who did not so sup
port Mr.. Bryan. whatever his opinion
of the wisdom of his policy, would be
recreant to his trust as an American
citizen
Can he yield less to the president
who has SO signally honored him
than that support that all men owe
the president, from the humblest to
the highest? Can he hope to retain
the high regard in which millions Of
his fellow-ci have held his opin-
ions and his motives If he fail in a
duty of good citizenship SO element
airy that the plain man in the street
fulfills it instinctively, without re-
Election? Mr. Bryan, in his present
frame of mind, has one imperative
duty. That is to remain silent.