The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-13


In answer to an inquiry of the Chicago
Tribune as 20 whether ne would be a candi-
date for the presidential nomination Of his
party Mr.. Bryan said: Whether I shall be
candidate depends largely on the plat
form. The platform should fit the party
end the candidate should fit The platform"
The meaning Of the foregoing seems to De
that if the platform shouldn't contain the
l6 to idea he EouldnJ be a candidate for
the nomination. Mr. Bryan is wise in
taking that position. He couldn't con-
sistently stand on a platform which didn't
contain that idea. No man understands
that better than he does Therefore mis-
whole effort has been and still Is. to have
the Chicago platform reaffirmed. and
planks relative to trusts and imperialism
added
If the convention were to be held next
week Mr.. Bryan would have scarcely any
opposition. and there are no reasons at this
time for thinking that the opposition 10
him viii be strong when the Democratic
national convention meets, but there ore
signs which indicate that forces are at
work against him. There are Democratic
leaders who are searching the country for
candidate with which to beat him.
In 1896 the New York Journal was about
the only important paper in the East
which gave Mr.. Bryan a hearty support 1t
is believed it is against his nomination
next year. While it approves the Chicago
platform-or pretends to approve tit
doesn't like Mr.. Bryan's anti-expansion
views. Il has practically said that if he
wants It's support he must change his po-
siuon in respect to the Philippines. There
isn't any probability that he will change
his views on that subject
The Journal, il is believed, would like to
see ex-Seeretary of the Navy Whitney.
the party's candidate for President not
withstanding the fact that Mr.. Whitney Is
a very close friend of Mr.. Clevelands.
Mr. Whitney is a very able man, but he is
too rich and too closely connected with
trusts and mcnopolies TO make a popular
candidate. He may be one of the man
ayers Of the campaign, bat there isn't any
probability that he will be the standard
bearer
There is good deal of talk emanating
from Saratoga in respect to Judge Van
Wyck as a presidential candidate. In the
dispatches from that famous resort it is
announced that 100000 copies of his speech
against trusts, delivered at the Jeffersonian
dinner under Tammany's auspices, are to
be scattered over the country. and it is de
clared that he is just as well known and
just as popular in the South as he is IN
New York His speech against trusts IS
a moderately good but not wonderful
production.
If his friends are depending upon his pop
ularity in the South to pull him through
they are likely to suffer a great disap-
pontment. 1t is true that he has some dis
tant connection with the South, but not
enough to justify his friends in saying that
he is wonderfully popular in this part of
the country. He is known in the South
Just as thousands of other men who have
figured in public are known, namely,
through the newspapers.
Mr.. Bryan will have to keep up his fight
for the Is to l idea and then he will have
to make fight for the nomination, but
there is nothing in the situation just now
to Justify the opinion that he will not be
successful The old politicians who are
opposed TO him may out-general him. If
they do they will have to do a great deal
of very fine political work.