h of their policies. But they
were different in temperament, equipment, and experience, and upon this
difference the Republican leaders made their appeal to the voters.

The Democratic nominee was essentially an orator--he swayed the masses
by his denunciation of the perils which threatened the nation through
the concentration of wealth which had gone on under the Republican rule.
His opponents admitted that a man of his stamp was invaluable to the
American people, but they contended that his place was in the editor's
chair, in the pulpit, or upon the lecture platform, not as the chief
executive of the nation. Furthermore, it was said that this great orator
had views on political, social, and economic questions which bordered on
the visionary, and that any man who had openly supported free silver,
anti-imperialism, or even the guaranty of bank deposits, could not be
safely trusted with the guidance of the nation's destinies.

The Republican candidate had none of the qualifications of an orator; he
was rather a teacher. He did not cater to the desires of his audience;
he struck at the abuses most prevalent in the section where he spoke. It
was his business to point out weaknesses; to find remedies for them; to
educate, not sway, his audiences. His mind was constructive; his
training had been along the lines of constructive political thought; he
had proven his ability by his organization of a civil government for the
Philippines and by his solution of the vexed question of Cuba. So it was
argued that the best test of his ability and guaranty of efficiency was
the work he had already done.

The campaign was lacking in life and enthusiasm simply because there
were no clearly defined issues. The candidates went through the usual
performances of "swinging around the political circuit." Mr. Taft was
accorded a warm welcome on his trip, for the people wished to get
acquainted with President Roosevelt's choice as much as to hear him
discuss the Republican policies. Mr. Bryan, who conducted a great
speaking campaign, confined his attention to advocating the bank
guaranty plan and to attacking the evils of private monopoly. Political
enthusiasm was at a low ebb. Few people took matters seriously and the
campaign was aptly characterized as the "Era of No Feeling."

The vote cast for presidential electors was primarily an expression of
popular confidence in the Roosevelt administration. For nearly half a
century the situation in