Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-05-23
ROOSEVELT AND BRYAN.

Just now there is much specula-
ton regarding what will be the re-
spectiye attitudes OF Roosevelt and
Bryan in the next campaign. These
two men represent the opposite poles
OF thought regarding the American
government, each is an inordlnate
egotist, and each has a considerable
following among the voters.
The mental processes of the men
are different and their methods of
appealing TO the people are different,
except in the fact that they meet on
the common ground Of oratory, each
realizing. with Bunyan In his Holy
War" that the "city of Mansoul must
be captured by eargate."
We must give Roosevelt credit for
greater clarity of thinking lie is a
much read man, and, as Bacon said
Reading maketh the full man. He
Is pcrsistently n thinking man, who,
whatever his opinions, has come to
them through II course of logic.
Mr.. Bryan has By far the finer
voice, and his spoken words sway his
hearers more, but not so his printed
speeches. Mr.. Bryan has never
read much, ana the things read by
him are for the purpose Of fortifying
his opinlons--not to assist him in
ascertaInng the truth of any propo-
sltion. Mr.. Bryan is a talker. not Il
thinker.
or Roosevelt's thinking ability, for
mer Senator w. A. Clark of Montana
once perpetrated an epigram worth
preserving. lie said: THE president
Is, Of course, a great thinker. but the
trouble with great thinkers Is that
they are always wrong The point
of interest here Is that, whether he
Is right or wrong, there is hard ana
prolonged thought behind Roosevelts
every expression He does not, like
Colonel Bryan, talk in order 10 thins.
lie has thought before he talks. and
studied widely IL not deeply, however
lmpulslve seem his words, or how
over unexpected their occasion.
Both Roosevelt and Bryan have
opinions on everything under the
heaven. Each of them is cocksure
he is right II there Is anything
about which both of these colonies
do not know everything, II is some
thing of which they never have heard.
When Il new thing comes up TO
Roosevelt, he reads everything he
makes W his mind as to its merits or
dement's Information Is unneces-
sary.
For reading everything and prob
Ing into everything, Roosevelt's mind
Is much like that of Gladstone. And
It was Of Mir. Gladstone that the
Japanese ambassador TO the court OF
ST. James once said, after talking for
m hour to the British premier, that
he was astonished at the correctness
of Mr. Gladstone's information about
WV NfflA fNN ~ btttftiiif ~ WYNN ~
erything he knew was wrong A SIM
liar comment on Gladstone's great
knowledge was made by Sir Richard
Burton at dinner given in his hon
or after his return from his long ex-
ploratlon' Of central Africa. After
an extended conversation with MI
Gladstone, Snr Richard remarked
that he never before had met man
who knew so much of Africa, and
an Of it wrong. And, no doubt,
Roosevelts sin is omniscience, too. lie
knows a lot of things, even il he
knows them mostly wrong Mr.
Bryan doesn't know much, and the
little he knows is mostly wrong.
Roosevelt may not be nominated
for the presidency, but he viii either
be the nominee or dictate the nomi-
nee or the republican nominee will
be defeated. Mr.. Bryan win not be
the democratic nominee and he will
not dictate the nominee. hut he may
pull enough votes from the nominee
TO defeat the democratic ticket