The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-04-27
DISSENSION
slasts the Hopes Of Bryan IN his
Cherished Ambition
10 Be THE NEXT PRESIDENT.
Serious Breaks Among the silvsrites
and aold-Democrats- POpulists and
socialists Can Not Follow the Kan
sas city Nominee.

WASHINGTON, April 2e.-It is with
m. party in power that internal dissen-
sIons are always first noted as a polltl-
col campaign approaches. Thus far
mich has been heard of the sources Of
ysak1ess in the Republican ranks. Of
che mistakes OF Mckinley, and the fatal
hIupdcrs OF Congress, but little Of any
sucb dlsruptlng forces on Bryan's side.
One would almost suppose that he made
no strategic mistakes, and that within
the lines of the unterrIfed there were
no fac,!onal disturbances.
Serious Breaks in Democratic Ranks.
This impression viii soon be correct
3D. The reports Of BryanIte dlssensIOns
arc only delayed In transmission"
within the very silver ranks them
saIveg. to say nothing of the Gold Dem
ocrauc opposition. there are already
serious breaks that are giving its lead
crs here great apprehension. OF the
two p59ullst conventions, 1t is generally
accepted that one-that at Sioux Falls.
will be under the control OF Bryan men
who vii! shape its action SO as to help
him TO get into the white house. The
Ngddle-of-the. Road convention at CM-
cInnau. on the other hand, Is expected
to antagonize him. and, while It's pres
ent visible support may be numerically
weak its appearance in the field is OF
the utmost strategic advantage to the
Republicans. 1t will mean for Bryan a
rival Popullst ticket; he win at all
times be DESTROYS OF having Its proper
tons kept small. and hence he must
constantly bid for the votes Of those
who might otherwise be attracted to 1t.
Can't Antagonize the Populists.
A, least, he will have to avoid any
thing Ike hostility towards sound Pop
ul!st doctrines, such as the referenum
and the government management Of ali
the things which the government is per
Sc incapable OF managing, or he would
give an impetus to the Cincinnati ticket.
Every time he takes step toward any
Of these theories. in order to keep thu
Cincinnati following down small, he will
by 50 much move away from the more
lucid minds OF his followers In states
like Indiana and Maryland. This means
tia; he will have to walk a straight
course. He cannot keep quiet, for he
has no we'll established reputation as u
sportsman which will permit him to
pass good part of the campaign in
fishing, as did the, last successful Demo-
cratic candidate for the presidency.
Socialist Vote Steadily Rising.
Another factor which is giving the
BryanItes much concern is the steady
rise Of the Socialist vote, or Social
Democratic, as 1t usually calls Itself.
While its Increase has been greatest lE
the east, there is no telling when its
glltterlng theories will find a foothold
right in the heart Of the Populist do
main. II 1t were not for playing with
fire. the Republican national committee
might find it profitable to get some good
soclal.Damocratic missionaries at work
in the doubtful states; all the support
they gained would come from Bryan,
for whoever would this year beattracted
by their programme was doubtless
pleased four years ago with so much OF
it as the Chicago platform offered.
Great Growth in the East.
The growth of this party in the cast
shows the available material for such
an organization elsewhere. In the ye-
cent gubernatorlal election in Rhode Is
land the Socialists polled 6 per cent Of
the total vote OF the state. In the whole
country they advanced between 1892
and 1926 from 2l,0OO votes to $4,000, and
since that year their growth has been
much accelerated. They polled 1909
votes in Massachusetts, alone in the last
state election. So far as this presiden-
ual election is concerned. it can do the
Republicans no great harm, while in
some states such margin OF detection
from Bryan would be decisive. The
socialIst-Democrats are, as a rule, very
STRENUOUS people; they do not compro-
mise, ana are not alarmed by the fear
Of throwing their votes away. They
thrive on labor disturbances, as history
so clearly proves, and to-day there are
fifty strikes in progress in the United
States. Although immeasurably nearer
these Socialists in theories and hopes 1t
is the Bryan Democrats, rather than the
Republicans, who are alarmed by their
growth in numbers. These are only
two Of the forces which threaten to
break up the Bryan camp, and the sklr-