The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-06-16
Injustice to Bryan

Wllllam Jennings DrNdH is puTsueu ny
certain writer's, certain newspapers
and certain interests. To attribute
the acrid tone of the abuse, heaped
upon him almost without intermission,
to his attitude toward militarism and
his advocacy of world peace would
be folly, for the harsh treatment met
ed out to him dates much farther back
than the beginning of the European
war or the inauguration of the pre-
paredness agitation. 1t cannot be due
to the fact that he resigned from the
Wilson Cabinet on point of con-
science, because in other countries,
as well as in the United States, many
other members of ministries and cab
inets have SO resigned without bring
ing the integrity Of their motives or
the purity Of their. patriotism into
question. 1t cannot be because Mr..
Bryan resigned at what was regard
ed as a critical moment in the coun-
try's diplomatic relations, for ma
jority Of such designations arc actual
| ly precipitaJed by governmental crises.
Mr. Bryan is rot friendly toward the
enlargement Of the military or naval
establishments; he is, and long anter-
Tor to the outbreak of the European
war he was, warm advocate OF IN
ternational arbitration and of good
will and peace among men, but he
has not stood alone in either respect
Many of the leading men in America
have been in sympathy with his doc
trines, are in sympathy with them to-
day. 1t cannot be that Mr.. Bryan is
| singled out for eXcoriation and con-
| domination from the scores of prom
inent citizens of the republic profess
eddy opposed to war. William How
ard Taft, both as private citizen and
as President, has stood in the past
practically for the Bryan pacifist doc
| trines. Woodrow Wilson as private
citizen stood for them; is standing
for them as President. Theodore
Roosevelt, while President, was grant
ed the Nobel peace prize. Many have
differed from each of these, but none
of the three has been vituperated as
has Mr. Bryan for believing and de
claring that war is something to be
abhorred and stunned.
AS proof that Mr.. Bryan cannot
be disliked or detested by certain per
sons, papers, or interests, altogether
because Of his pacifist views, an in
cident at the meeting of the peace
conference at Mohonk Lake, N. Y, a
few days ago deserves attention. Dur
ing one of the sessions Major Geo. Ha-
ven Putnam, member of New York
publishing firm, began attacking Mr..
Bryan's peace policies but had not
proceeded far before he found himself
denouncing the distinguished Nebras
kan for "misrepresenting the country
by his theory Of discharging its debts
at 80 cents on the dollar" Fair
minded men at the glance at once, and
quite properly, protested against drag
cling the partisan fight in which Mr.
Bryan was engaged in 1896 into the
peace discussion of 1916.
But we have here a clew to the anti
Bryan propaganda. He is evidently
not disliked, and he is evidently not
being lampooned or traduced so much
for his attitude on the peace question
as for his attitude toward "the inter.
ests." He has been for a quarter of
century an implacable foe of the
financial manipulation, eXploiter anc
Spectator. He preceded Roosevelt as
can enemy of the trusts" indeed he
made it possible for Roosevelt tt
fight the trusts. To Bryan's teaching.
was due the passage of much of the
regulatory legislation which the great
combines, even down to this time, arC
unwilling to obey. Bryan was years
in advance of his own party, years il
advance of the opposition party, il
his advocacy of political and econom
ic reforms 1t is matter of common
| knowledge that much of what is call
ed the progressive legislation PLACED
On the statute books of the nation
since 1896 has been based partly o.
wholly upon his ideas. AS he recon
mended and advocated it, of course
was pronounced radical" and dan
yerous;" rs Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.
Taft proposed and even urged it, i
was advanced" and necessary" Mr.
Bryan has seen the credit go to Others
md he has simply smiled. The "Bry
an theories" at which many sneeret
the past have been borrowed" AM
adopted by others who have no
been denounced as "dreamers" ant
'cranks." William Allen White, VIII
annot be numbered among Mr.. Bry
ans Infatuated and deluded follow
ars," touching upon the defeat of tn
,x-Secretary of State in the recen
= Nebraskan primaries, has this to say
He went down partly because
he was right; he defended pro-
hibition and wanted to make it
national issue and incorporate
an Endorsement of national pro-
: hibition in the Democratic plat
form. He got ahead of the main
body of the troops and he was
sniped. But the main
body of the troops will catch up
with him on the prohibition issue
within decade.
= The main body of troops has caugh
: up with him on other questions and 0
Their issues. If he had not been S
far ahead of the grand army in tn
i. march of progress he might hav
;, been President long ago. We hold n
i brief for Mr.. Bryan, nor will we b
committed to Endorsement of all hi
theories or doctrines or issues, bu
we cannot refrain from recalling tha
it was he who stood agains
Y the combined money and Tamman