Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-08-24
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN.

Let us hope we do not misjndge him
when we suspect that Mr.. Bryan,s res
lsnation Is q bid for favor a. the hands
Of the Democratic convention, and 81
the people later on
Were he not William Jennings Bry.
IN, with q free-silyer record. an ir.
repressible ambition To be president.
-Commoner' publicity. the lll-consid.
ered champion OF Iopsided issues, and
. calanifous insensftiyeness to the
real wishes Of the American people,
our private suspicious nigh be held
In reserye,
To Mr.. Bryan, / am afraid the op.
portunfty 70 place hfs new system"
before q peace-ioving pubic; TO con.
ciliate the hurt feelings OF many Am.
orleans Of German descent, who would
stand by our Flag, but who think Mr..
Wilson Is not exactly fair: to EN-.
barass an administration which in all
probability VIII end at the term nation
of its present ineumbency, was too
great to be resisted
In view of his spectacular career.
how does this late bit of news sound:
There Is no trace Of bitterness.
personal spleen or political ambition
IN Mr.. Bryaa's plea. He asks the pee.
pie to sit in Judgment on his resigna-
ton as secretary Of state at time Of
national crisis, when the traditional
attitude of the Nation always has been
to stand Loyalty behind those to whom
II had entrusted authority.
II he acted unwisely, he says, no
mercy for him can be expected, bus
be pleads for general realization that
the issue is not one between Presi
dent Wilson and Secretary Bryan, but
between fundamental categories Of
thoIghI " s''e~ =
President Wilson's note, says Bryan.
conf forms to the old system OF diplo-
macy, behind which always has hidden
the threat Of force.
His own new system, Of which he
puts himself forward as the cham.
pion, rests on persuasion, not force"
II this isn't demagogism, it sounds
mighty like It 1t has the ring OF
The free-silver campaign. It's blind to
all but one issue. like political prohi.
hilton, female suffragism and other
very proper Tin their place. culinary
recipes for White House cleaning.
Following Mr.. Bryan's want Of con-
fidence IN his President. read what
the German papers say:
mfr. Bryan seems to have less con-
fidence than we have in the honest
desire OF the United States to arrive
at some peaceful compromise Of the
questions that have created an issue
between America and Germany.
''Mr. Bryan Is convinced that Presi.
dent Wilson and the United States
viii finally appeal to force to secure
the fun measure of their demands
from Germany. We are convinced to
the contrary"
II being secretary OF state has say.
ed us from having Mr.. Bryan for pres
ldent of the United States. 1t has done
us q service; for there's no doubt
that a little closer acquaintance with
the working Of Mr.. Bryan's mind un.
der responsibility has eliminated all
danger OF our being deceived by any
oratory he may get off in the future.
He's dead, buried beyond all political
His talk upon weighty
questions after this will not be con.
sfdered any more seriously than his
talks upon evolution and other mat.
tiers Of which he has little comprehen.
sion.
1t is hard to explain how a man OF
his small intellectual caliber, his lack
of insight, his puerile Judgment. his
unstatesmanship, should
ever have kept him so long in the
public eye.
That man of his ideas on "politf
cal rewards. and "spoils" should trJ
TO pose as a martyr to an ethical prfn.1
ciple is a surprise only to those who
have not watched the career of this
Nestor of opportunists.