~.-~ "Don't waste your time; create, act, you must have your own position no matter where you are, and be a character: take action!"

(Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States)

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The Grand Theater, Colorado, Denver, USA.

In 1908, the Democratic Party's headquarters was located in the theater auditorium.

"Citizens! Who is it, in that chaotic and helpless dark age, that awakens the conscience of the Americans!"

"Jennings! Jennings! Jennings!"

"Citizens! Who are you, pointing out that we are being nailed to the golden cross by some people!"

"Jennings! Jennings! Jennings!"

"Citizens! Who is it that keeps Republican Yankees awake at night?"

"Jennings! Jennings! Jennings!"

"Next, please invite Jennings Brian to speak to everyone!"

The cheers like tsunamis are endless.

In other words, whenever the cheers were about to stop, a group of people would inspire more intense cheers again. Under such an infection, everyone finally fell into fanaticism.

They stamped their feet, roared, and shouted, waving slogans to the middle-aged man who walked onto the stage, as if they were welcoming a commander who had returned in triumphant victory in conquering the world.

Jennings Brian faced the Democratic supporters who came from all over the country with a serious expression.

He has run for the Democratic Party twice, losing to Republican William McKinley for the first time, and the second time he lost to this person.

This will be the last time the tenacious civilian lawyer attempts to run for the Democratic Party.

Jennings Brian is a true idealist. His faith is not complicated: God, just.

He is charming and has always been regarded among the voters as the embodiment of integrity, candidness and eloquence. But this does not guarantee his victory.

Brian knew very well that the real opponent he faced this time: it was not the 300-pound "Smiling Bill". But the "trust Blaster" with extraordinary charm, outstanding talents, always full of confidence, full of energy, and as energetic as a North American bison. He has announced that he will no longer run for re-election and instead supports his current president of his close friend William Taft, Theodore Roosevelt.

This is an opponent who is ten times more terrifying and ten times more dangerous than McKinley.

Putting aside the differences in partisanship, Brian actually admires Roosevelt very much, and can even be said to be mutually sympathetic.

The United States was in a crucial period of transition at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The traditional democratic politics and free economy were weak in the face of increasingly complex trust economy and money politics. The people called for justice and called for a replacement of pure elite games with mass politics.

In such a trend, Brian called the most famous flag bearer of the American "civilian movement", and in 1896, he set off a "Bryan whirlwind" everywhere he went, which was enthusiastically welcomed by the civilian class, but the final election result was that McKinley, a Republican supported by big business owners, won.

However, McKinley was assassinated during his second term, and Vice President Theodore Roosevelt succeeded to the throne. As a Republican, the president was out of place with the traditional Republican forces and even directly pointed the stick at the Republican party's main behind-the-scenes group: Trust Enterprise.

Theodore Roosevelt set off a whirlwind of reform within the Republican Party, and his propositions even largely exceeded what Brian advocated. He advocated fair trading and strengthened supervision of agricultural product processing. He severely sanctioned unjust competition in trusts, forcing investors to accept labor conditions in labor-capital conflicts, in stark contrast to his predecessor McKinley's act of suppressing labor, and even blatantly promoted the spin-off of Standard Oil, a controlled by the Rockefeller family.

Theodore gained respect and love from Americans for this, and also accumulated unparalleled popularity within the Republican Party.

But what makes Brian admire even more is that this man is also a realist. When he realizes that some problems may cause difficult problems, Theodore Roosevelt will adopt clever strategies. He seems to be born with how to achieve his goals.

The appearance of Theodore Roosevelt gradually changed the attitude of Brian's supporters: although the civilian movement failed politically, it won economically: they had achieved what they wanted.

But Brian had no choice: he still had to insist on doing so.

The reason is simple: this tenacious civilian lawyer firmly believes that it is his persistent civilian movement that has promoted the elites' active reforms, and the pressure he exerted is the driving force that promotes them to continue reforms.

"Citizens." Jennings Brian took a deep breath, looking around the supporters. He knew very well what his staff had made to set the atmosphere, but he did not intend to blame them. Perhaps his beliefs had never wavered, but he had already understood more clearly what politics was. "I thank you very much and admire you very much. Because you are truly upright and keen Americans!"

Fanatic cheers.

"I came here just to tell you. It is also to tell them: justice still belongs to the American people!"

"…The civilian movement is such a movement: He believes that people are born equal, and that the Creator gives us all rights fairly. Every citizen, whether poor or rich, should enjoy all this fairly."

"Direct elections must be popularized, and senators should be elected directly by citizens, not through the state assembly..."

"The monopoly of private tycoons must be broken, and the state should be able to form state-owned enterprises, just like the country across the ocean, as a model in important areas: providing workers with better benefits, better security, shorter working hours, and a cleaner working environment..."

"We need the state to provide more comprehensive protection for agriculture: the federal government buys farmers' food at high prices, protects farmers' interests, and then sells these food at a fair price... Industrial tycoons lower the food prices and raise the prices of industrial products. This is a sin to do... "

"The financial system needs to be rebuilt, and the credit business that squeezes farmers needs to be banned... Exchanges must be severely rectified, and the behavior of manipulating agricultural product futures prices must be severely punished... The Chinese have given a good example, and we need to strictly supervise transactions. The people cannot be fooled... The bad deeds of financial tycoons call for targeted legislation, and the people need a fair response..."

There were already cheers everywhere.

"Jennings, lead us to kick the Republican Yankees hard on the ass!"

"Mr. Brian, in the name of God, America needs you! We need you!"

"We want Jennings!"

Fanatical cheers came one after another, and the entire auditorium was like a violent ocean.

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Central Park, New York.

This large public green space in downtown Manhattan is the product of the famous news reporter William Bryant's campaign to launch a park construction campaign in the New York Post. It was built in 1873. In order to prevent public green space from being occupied by surrounding real estate tycoons, designer Osterde insisted on setting up a "regulation prohibiting occupation". Since then, the park has been regarded as a symbol of fairness and justice in the United States.

Tens of thousands of supporters gathered together, holding supportive slogans and flags. Although standing on the podium was talking about a fat man with the highest rate of appearance in the United States (---house. The fastest update.) rate, people's eyes often slipped to the figure next to them.

"Citizens, as a former federal judge, often ask me: Is state intervention contrary to the principles of the Constitution? Where is the freedom as the foundation of the United States going? Will the democratic freedom, which is gifted to America, be replaced by **? Who gives the government the power to interfere in private freedom?"

"What I need to share with you is the following point: the constitutional agreement of the United States. The legitimate rights of the government are granted by the consent of the ruled. Then it exercises intervention in economic and social life, first of all, by you, the great American citizens, to grant legitimacy, and serves fairness and justice completely and irreversibly, to help you exercise your legal rights. The freedom of the United States does not give some economic or political superiority to the freedom to undermine the legal rights of others. If anyone does this, the government will exercise the rights granted by the citizens and restore justice. We firmly believe that justice is as important as freedom for the long-term development of the country."

"In the past eight years, my colleagues and I, especially my respectable friend Teddy, have worked together to achieve fairness and justice, to achieve true implementation of the spirit of the founding of the United States, and to make personal freedom not an excuse for some unethical and irregular privileged people to act freely. We have made sincere efforts...I believe we are engaged in a cause that is right for society. And I beg you, the citizens of the United States, to give me the right to serve you in the next four years..."

"...I have noticed that our tariff policies are aggravating the difficulties of citizens' lives to some extent. High tariffs protect the interests of the business community while also bringing high cost of living. The development of society cannot satisfy a few people at the expense of the interests of more people. I will promote the reform of this issue during my tenure, and I will submit a satisfactory answer to you..."

"...We do not think concentration is a sin, and we do not oppose growth and growth through fair market competition. We respect equal rights, but believe that this must be the result of fair competition. We will take measures to curb illegal profits to ensure fairness of this competition. We provide every American citizen with the opportunity to compete fairly so that you can use your wisdom and talents... We will severely punish the illegal acts of trusts. We will establish a fair and reasonable economic order, we will allow American citizens to enjoy the welfare of economic prosperity, and each of you can enjoy a free and prosperous life..."

Theodore Roosevelt watched Taft talking at the podium, with a smile on his face.

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Wall Street. Morgan Building.

Jack Morgan put down the newspaper and sighed: "This smiling Bill doesn't seem to be a person who is willing to be lonely... Ohio's top five presidents are all gentlemen. Will this one be an exception?"

"He's done well, John." Zhou Tongxu spit out a smoke ring with satisfaction, "The key is the one from the Democratic Party... If he spoke Russian, I would definitely think he was a Red Russian."

"Brian has no choice." Henry Davidson, senior partner of Morgan Bank, played with a little bored playing with a gold goblet at Louis XIV's court. "The essence of this competition is just who can better inherit Teddy's policies, because the Americans really love our Majesty. But Teddy himself chose Taft... How did Brian prove that he could inherit Teddy's career better than the heirs he chose? He had no choice."

"His vote in agricultural states in the west and south, he must please the rednecks and poor men. For those people, radical policies are more attractive and can make them fanatic." Davidson snorted, "But the election is still a game of money. He can win a lot of cheers, but just like that in 1896, the important thing is who the boss behind the scenes chooses..."

"So we choose Taft?" Zhou Tongxu looked at him and laughed, "Let a sleepy man of more than 300 pounds lead the United States?"

"Yes. Damn, I don't want the US president to find a bathtub wherever he goes... but we have no choice." Davidson sighed helplessly, "I hope he won't be the second Teddy: catch us off guard when we relax our guard."

"He won't be the second Majesty Roosevelt." Zhou Tongxu paused, "Maybe you all underestimated this person."

"What's the meaning?"

"He has a perfect resume and an ambitious wife. Now he can naturally accept the power left by Roosevelt and control a powerful country." Zhou Tongxu said. "Do you think he will be willing to be Roosevelt's deputy king?"

"No one on this stage will willingly be a supporting role when he goes that step...even if he once thought so sincerely."

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March 4, 19o9.

In front of the White House, Washington Monument Square.

Snowflakes were still floating in the sky, and tens of thousands of people gathered on the square to welcome their new president.

The 27th President of the United States, William Howard Taft, stood on the podium, facing the loudspeaker, with a serious and calm expression: "Comrades: Anyone who has read the same oath as me will feel that he is responsible. If he does not have this feeling, he does not understand the power and responsibility of the public office he is about to take, or the lack of the sense of responsibility emphasized in the oath..."

“…I have been honored to be an advisor to the outstanding former president to help the reforms he pioneered. To be true to myself, to my promises, to the policy platform I proposed during my campaign, the most important feature of this administration is to maintain and deepen this reform. The reform is intended to curb the illegal acts and abuses of power in large capital consortiums that invest in railways and industries to develop interstate trade.”

“The measures taken by the former President and the legislation adopted in accordance with his recommendations have been very fruitful. The wrong policies that have caused public panic have been comprehensively corrected and the business community has strengthened the emphasis on the existing laws. However, to make the reforms last and at the same time ensure that businessmen who use legitimate and progressive business methods are not scared. Further legislative and administrative actions are necessary.”

"In terms of railways, the former president had strongly advocated lifting certain restrictions on railways by the antitrust law, and I also strongly advocated doing so. On the other hand, the current government guarantees the formulation of regulations and appropriate federal supervision and restrictions to prevent railway companies operating interstate trade from issuing bonds and stocks... We must reorganize the Ministry of Justice, the Business Administration Bureau and the Interstate Commerce Commission under the Ministry of Commerce and Labor to strengthen effective cooperation among these institutions and ensure that laws on interstate railways and business alliances can be implemented more quickly and effectively. I hope to make clear suggestions on antitrust and interstate trade laws and the reforms required by relevant administrative departments in implementation at the first regular meeting of Congress in December next year... "

William La Limer, who came to Washington to attend the inauguration ceremony of the new president, raised his lips slightly: "His Majesty Roosevelt's deputy king... is indeed well-known. Do you think that His Majesty will remotely control the White House in the tropical rainforest of Africa... All this happened in front of the monument of the founding father, which is a wonderful irony."

John D. Rockefeller Jr. looked at the capable nephew of Andrew Mellon: "William, the essence of politics lies in compromise... We never think of any president as our enemy. They are just collaborators: real or potential."

William La Limer looked at him and smiled tacitly.

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Port Hoberken, New Jersey.

Theodore Roosevelt was wearing the military uniform of a cavalry colonel and stood on the dock, with his strong second son Kermit standing beside him.

He had been commissioned by the Smithsonian Institution and National Geographic magazine to travel to the African jungle to collect specimens of animals and plants and animals to complete a great expedition.

The former president and cavalry colonel shook hands with the old subordinates of the "Brave Cavalry Regiment" who came from all over the country to see him off. These veterans who had galloped through Cuba under the colonel's command were filled with tears.

"Teddy..." Senator Henry Cabert Rocky, a member of the Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee, looked at his Harvard junior with a complicated expression. "It's incredible... Those great and pleasant days are over, and we will never have anything like this again. Teddy, take care of yourself anyway, you are the best president."

Theodore Roosevelt looked at his Harvard senior in a crying voice, remembering the iron man cried bitterly at the White House farewell party before, and felt sad.

"Time is not long, my dear..." Theodore Roosevelt's wife Esti tidied up his collar, kissed him gently on his cheek, and leaned his head against her husband's chest, "Take care. I love you forever."

Theodore Roosevelt stroked his wife's head and waved goodbye to everyone.

"Wait for me to come back." Theodore Roosevelt looked around everyone, his voice still loud and confident, "Let's do something more exciting together... like a real American man!"
To be continued...