The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-02-20
Time is indicating Mr.. Bryan.

(From the Albany, n. Y, ITEMS
Union.)
One can not help wondering how
Hon. William Jennings Bryan view:
the many activities and achievement:
which he urged with such fervencl
and heard so viciously criticised a:
dangerous and socialistic.
Note that silver has reached
point where the sixteen to one ratio
has been about achieved. 1t worked
out automatically, but the CONDITION
is here. This must be pleasing t(
the Democratic war horse.
The election of United States Sen
ators by the people was one of hi:
hopes. His enemies and the inter
ests that could control legislature:
called it a hobby" but it won. The
Senate is today O. body as responsive
to the will of the people as the mouse
of representatives
Railroads under control of, ano
operated by, the government. WIFI
what amazement were Mr.. Bryan
opinions on this subject viewed Dy
his critics. There was something
about the suggestion horrible to con.
template, and how the self-styled
big folks" did fay the Nebraskan
and cause him to lose votes on &C
count of his advocacy OF this prlncl-
pie! But the government IS DONG
Just what Mr.. Bryan said it should
do and not a few people believe thai
what is found good in war time Will
be continued after peace has come.
Then woman suffrage has carried
in many States and an amendment
to the federal constitution making
the condition national is now pend
ing. Remember how long it was
that Mr.. Bryan was one of the few
statesmen of national influence that
advocated the ballot for women?
The income tax was a hobby that
he did urge with energy and consls-
tency. He proved to the satisfaction
Of most people that it was the fair
est tax that could be levied. And he
fought with especial emphasis de-
handing the tax on corporations.
The tax law so far as these items
are concerned followed closely on the
lines of Mr.. Bryan's hobby"
1.-The initiative and referendum"
was a principle that his traducers
delighted to parade as conspicuous
horror in Mr.. Bryan's gallery of hob
bies. But how it has won and is
winning! Even staid and conserva-
tive Massachusetts is seriously con-
sidering the matter of trusting the
people to the extent of adopting the
initiative and referendum as a part
of it's organic law.
And he dared to take position in
favor of prohibition-dared to do
this when told over and over again
that the stand would forever kill
him politically. Yet prohibition has
made tremendous strides since that
day and many little time serving pol
iticians who bent their efforts to
help the enemies of prohibition when
the enemies didn't need their help
are now catching on in favor of pro-
hibition after the federal amendment
making a national bone dry pro-
vision has passed the house of repre-
sentatives. This must make Mr..
Bryan smile one of those broad
smiles with which the cartoon MAX
efef amifiafizedd the nation " hen Nj.
Bryan was advocating so many UNI
popular things that have since not
only became popular, but have been
made parts of the law and facts of
the land.
These are only some of Mr.. Bry-
ans hobbies" There are others
and each one is worth smile and
each one gets it from the people who
stood by Mr.. Bryan and believed in
the practicability of most of the mea
sures he advocated and had the full
est confidence in his honesty of pur-
pose and great ability as shown In
every one of them.
Mr. Bryan has a hobby" now land
he is most ably, eloquently and Wig
orously urging it. His present" hob
by is that individual opinion as to
whether or not this country should
60 into the conflict was permissible
till war was declared, and after that
there is no chance or excuse for di-
visions. The act of the nation was
the act of all the people and the on
ly way to shorten the war is to give
the President the undivided support
of the entire nation. Maybe a year
or two after the war is over the crit
les of the Nebraskan will catch up
with him on that hobby" too.
Mr.. Bryan's hobbies" have won
and their winning has again shown
that however right statesman may
be his being too far ahead of his
time is liable to be hindrance to
his immediate efforts greater than
the errors of another. Mr.. Bryan
has been completely indicated and
maybe he may yet be president and
maybe not. If he is not he will oc
cupy a place in that galaxy of states
men greater than mere presidents,
who have left the impress of great
ness on the records of their country
like Webster, Clay, Calhoun and
others who developed great ideas as
they passed along. Every school
boy and school girl is familiar with
the names of Daniel Webster and
Henry Clay, yet how few of them
can tell the names of the presidents
of the United States. Yes, time is
Mr.. Bryan and he will
loom large in history when many of
the men who beat him in political
battles are buried beneath the dust
of obliyiOn.-Commone