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'AUGUST B, 1910
The Passing of Bryan
Brynn and Nebraska
The "Passing of Bryan" is an old themo, so
very old that it can hardly bo handled with
confidence now in spito of the new interest that
has been given it by tho Nebraska convention.
Much depends, of course, upon tho outcome of
the campaign in the state. If tho republicans
win with county option Bryan may claim that
the democrats made a fatal error in scorning
his advice and refusing to indorse county option.
Upon the political value of the local issue out
siders should bo slow to pronounce judgment.
But Bryan seems to have lost much of his
power as $ party director in Nebraska, and there
can be no doubt that this will please largo num
bers of democrats in other parts of tho country.
For with all his personal popularity and strength
he has lost prestigo through his defeats, and
there is an eager desire to be rid of his leader
ship. Such being the condition tho most will
be made of the Nebraska rebuke, which is en
couraging to tho larger revolt. But there may
bo several chapters left of that old story, "Tho
Passing of Bryan." And they may bo painfully
exciting to divers democratic politicians. Chi
cago Record-Herald.
Speaking of Waterloos
William Jennings Bryan never measured high
er in tho love and trust of his fellow citizens
than when he fought for the right, and yet was
overwhelmed in the democratic convention of
his state.
It is a fair assumption, from the evidences
at hand, that the people of Nebraska are ready
for county local option in the liquor traffic. Both
republicans and populists have declared for it.
Democratic resistance is apparently in the hope
of winning a political victory, by walking be
tween the divided forces of prohibition. Upon
this, advocating the local option plank, Bryan
as usual was outspoken. He made his views
uncompromisingly clear. Facing an assured
convention defeat, he was, as ever, fearless.
The proposition fell; but It carried no down
fall of Bryan. He may have been wounded by
I the separation from his old political associates,
' but there can be no sense of personal defeat.
' He stands where he stood before the convention.
The policy is as just now as it was before his
party declined to adopt it. And in making his
alliance with principle rather than expediency,
he has gained rather than lost In splendor.
If we were compelled" to guess, wo would in
cline to the view that not Bryan but the Ne
braska democracy met a Waterloo on last Tues
day. Denver News.
Not Decisive
Defeat is not a new experience for Hon.
William Jennings Bryan. He has met it on two
or more other notable occasions and has sur
vived. There is no reason for believing that
he will be unable to survive that administered
to him by the democratic convention of his stato
last night.
The nominal result, of course, is to deprive
him of the leadership of his party in Nebraska.
It's a leadership that he had retained for up
wards of twenty years and through which he
had acquired and retained .national leadership,
despite frequent reverses.
Politicians play the game to win. They tiro
of a loser. They desert his standard, and the
wonder is that Bryan has been able to retain
his leadership during all the years of his suc
cessive defeats at the polls. He couldn't have
done it had he not placed principle above per
sonality and party itself and had not the vast
majority of the "common people" of his party
believed in the principles that he advocated and
the sincerity of his purposes. - .
Bryan is sincere in his advocacy of principles.
He was sincere in the advocacy of the one pre
sented to his stato convention Tuesday, It was
one that has been accepted by the democrats
of several states as sound party doctrine, but
afforded Bryan's political enemies in Nebraska
the opportunity they were looking for to over
throw him. The issue was the excuse.
. This doesn't mean that either the issue or its
advocate is politically dead. Both may come
to the surface again, when conditions have
changed, when those same practical politicians
of Nebraska have tired of their new leader, as
they will tire of him if he too develops Into a
loser. History, especially political history, has
a confirmed habit of repeating itself.
Bryan is defeated, but not whipped. He will
The Commoner.
contlnno to fight for tho principles that ho be
lieves in and will continuo to exorcise an in
fluence and a wido one, in tho democratic party.
His followers are legion and the most of them
are faithful. Perhaps they aro not numerous
enough to force him into acknowledged leader
ship again, but their voices will bo heard
through tho "peerless ono" for several years to
come In democratic affairs, Btate and national.
In short, however much tho practical poli
ticians of the party may desire it, democracy
is not yet rid of Bryan or Bryanlsm, unless ho
chooses to cut tho ties himself. Ho can and
will "come back" If ho wants to. St. Louis
Star.
"Make It Nation Wide"
For twenty years William Jennings Bryan has
dominated tho democratic paTty in Nebraska.
For fourteen years ho has dominated tho demo
cratic party of the country. Yesterday the dem
ocrats of his own stato, who know him best and
have followed him most loyally, repudiated him
and his leadership. Tho example of his homo
folks Is worthy tho imitation of tho party
throughout the country. Wo aro sorry for him
in a sense, for he is personally a very likable
man; but wo rejoice that he has reached tho
end of his rope In Nebraska.
There has beon much speculation as to what
course ho would take if the Nebraskan demo
crats should turn him down and out, and it has
been reported that ho would ally himself with
tho republicans of his state Wo do not know
and do not very much care ho would bo less
dangerous to the democracy on the other sldo
than if he should continuo to affiliate with his
own party, which has honored him aB it has hon
ored no other man in its history, and has paid
for its loyalty to him at a fearful cost.
Tho opponents of Mr. Bryan in Nebraska did
their work so thoroughly that it is reported he
would not "carry the fight to the floor of tho
convention." The odds were too great; tho peo
ple had made up their mind. Mr. Bryan yield
ed. That he will cease his political activities is
too much to expect, even to hope; but the Ne
braska democrats have set the pace the party
must travel if it is to make a winning fight
for the rescue of tho government at Washington
from the hands of tho marauders. Richmond
(Va.) Times-Dispatch.
And the World Came Also
Mr. Bryan is not tho first political chieftain
who has met defeat at tho hands of his own
party in his own state. Against tho judgment
of a great majority of the democrats of Ne
braska he has insisted that in the form of local
option the liquor question be made an issue In
this year's campaign. The convention yester
day rejected his advice and the demand that
he made was taken up by the republicans.
We fail to see anything in this proceeding
that is discreditable to anybody concerned. There
was an honest difference of opinion, and in spite
of his great popularity Mr. Bryan was outvoted.
It is gratifying to observe that while ho could
not convince his fellow-delegates ho was treat
ed with consideration. Few of our public men
are more courteous in controversy than Mr.
Bryan, and the democrats of Nebraska, no matter
how sharply they might oppose him, could not
do less than give him a' respectful hearing.
This much was also due a man who so re
cently exercised almost supremo control over
his party. Two years ago ho was practically
without a democratic rival in the whole nation.
Today a' score of politicians unknown beyond
their home districts overthrow him In his own
stato and defy him. Thus passes the glory of
leadership. In this fashion many another idol
has fallen.
Perhaps In such a revelation of tho vanity of
human power and the fickleness of popular favor
that other pampered child of fortune who holds
court at Oyster Bay may find an impressive
lesson. New York World.
Mr. Bryan and Nebraska
While Mr. Bryan has, admittedly, been de
cisively worsted in his attempt to commit tho
democracy of Nebraska squarely to the cause of
local option In the matter of the sale of Intoxi
cants, we fall to see that any particular na
tional significance necessarily attaches to the
circumstance.
The truth of the matter is, local option, or
homo rule, Is pretty fair democratic doctrine,
we think; and Mr. Bryan Indulged In no re
markable performance when he invoked it and
indorsed it. The mere fact that tho democracy
of Nebraska has rejected it does not mean that
the democracy of tho other states will do like
wise. Time and again tho democracy of Georgia
has Incorporated local option in its platform;
and tho democracy of Alabama has only recent
ly reaffirmed its allcgianco to tho samo. Puroly
on tho point of orthodoxy, tho attitudo of
Georgia and Alabama would seem sufficient to
offset Nebraska's defection. So far as democ
racy in its national aspect is concerned, Mr.
Bryan's recent stand for local option will as
likely strengthen him as weaken him, to say
tho least of It. Indeed, It Ib concoivablo that
Mr. Bryan might bo willing to sacrifice tho good
opinion of Nebraska oven his homo state in
order moro surely to establish himself in tho
good graces of thoso rock-ribbed states that
cling to local option aB tho truest of truo
democracy.
Curiously enough, tho Nebraska situation la
furthor complicated by tho fact that tho repub
licans will surely adopt a local option plank
identical with that so long hold to bo demo
cratic gospel in tho south, and back to which
tho prohibition south Is surely swinging. But
that will not commit national republicanism to
local option.
As wo havo said, howovor, wo do not regard
this Nebraska incidont as anything moro than
a Nebraska Incident. If Mr. Bryan is dis
qualified for furthor national leadership, it Is
not becauso of his stand on tho local option
Issuo In Nebraska. His disqualification must
havo been accomplished long boforo ho as
sumed that position or undertook to commit
tho Nebraska democracy to it. Tho Nebraska
tail can not wag tho entire democratic dog
and a largo portion of that dog is of local option
persuasion.
While tho effort to "get rid of Bryan" Is in
progress, it would bo Just as well, perhaps, if
it wore conducted along reasonably senslblo
lines. Washington (D. C.) Herald.
Becoming Defeat
No defeat ever became Mr. Bryan bettor than
tho one ho has just suffered in Nebraska. At
tho risk of his political Hfo ho stood for what
ho believed to bo a moral issuo the county
option system of controlling tho liquor traffic--and
tho party which had for twenty years ac
cepted his leadership in all his successive vag
aries, now repudiates it. Mr. Bryan may bo
guilty of rhetorical exaggeration when ho speaks
of a "conspiracy" of tho liquor Interest to 'effect
a "political burglary" in Nebraska, but It Is
impossible to refuse admiration to an act liko
his based on deep conviction. Of tho offect on
his political fortunes ho was perfectly well awaro
yet ho played tho part of a man without flinch
ing. What his Immediate course In Nebraska
should bo is a question which It must be hard
for him to decide. Tho republicans of that
stato havo declared for county option, and if
it is tho supreme issuo that Mr. Bryan pictures,
he would seem to bo in duty bound to abandon
temporarily the party that has abandoned him.
Ho would, however, havo much difficulty in en
dorsing all that tho Nebraska republicans en
dorsed in their platform. It contained a strong
commendation of President Taft but an even
stronger commendation of tho insurgent repub
licans who have made life miserable for him.
New York Evening Post.
A GOOD SUGGESTION ASK THEM
J. J. Wilkes, Belleville, Kan. To answer Sen
ator Owen's query, tho people must take a hand.
I would suggest that a list of questions be sub
mitted to every candidate who offers himself for
election to congress, and request nlm to answer
yes or no to tho following questions: Will you,
if elected, support and vote for tho initiative
and referendum and recall? Tho election of
senators by popular vote? For free sugar? For
free Iron and steel and tho manufactures thereof?
For free wool and cotton and the manufactures
thereof? For free lumber and wood pulp? And
will you vote to put upon the free list every ar
ticle that is sold abroad at a less price than it
Is sold at home? This list could bo lengthened,
but it will do for a start. By this method tho
voters can select by elimination. For a candi
date who will not pledge himself throws a doubt
at onco on his usefulness as p. congressman in
behalf at the people. If the electors In every
congressional district will put the question to
tho candidates they can Improve the tone of tho
next congress, and as tho people have to pay
tho salaries they should get what they want.
And perhaps a pledge required and given would
be a support to a weak or mercenary member
when temptation assailed him.
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