Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-03
| needs no reorganization. But who is to

bell the cat?
Bryan polled two tremendous aggregate
votes of his party. Mr.. Mckinley. accord
ing to the traditions of the country, may
not be a candidate to succeed himself for
the third time, but there rs no unwritten
law against a beaten candidate running
many times he pleases. Clay ran three
times. Cleveland ran thrice and won twice.
Bryan undoubtedly believes that with a
less stronger man than Mckinley he can
win If he secures the nominal ton, and Sc
cure II he Will or go uown once more in de-
feat, but if defeat this time it will be on
the floor Of the convention hall. He has
everything to gain and nothing to lose.
The great problem now confronting
those who insist upon reorganization is
how to get rid of him. The eastern leaders
are consumed with a smoldering fever to
eliminate him completely. Bryan declines
to be obliterated and has SHE'D his hat
the man. He has. and he knows it, a tight
grip upon the people who piled up millions
of votes for him, and 1t will be to these
people he will undoubtedly look for
strength to materialiZe a denomination
that the people want him.
Bryan and the Third Convention.
Mr. Bryan remained away from his sec
ond convention because he knew In ad-
vance its action. and he dictated terms and
settled disputes by ng-distance telephone,
SO vice-like was the lead-pipe cinch he had
upon the delegates and his party. He has
that grip to large extent now. and would
it not make a pretty picture-Mr. Bryan
starting out to collect a following OF dele
gates. carrying their strength into the hall
of the convention with him and to make
therein fight the details and complica-
lions of which he is "a past master? Who
would deny his power the force of his per-
sonal magnetic influence and presence?
None
IF Mr.. Bryan can develop this strength
it needs no tyro In politics to cast vision
of the hottest. bitterest fight witnessed for
years on the floor of a democratic conven-
ton from the moment the chairman drops
his gavel. And then to what will have
amounted prior efforts to 'shelve him?
The question will be answered there.
THE denals of the intention to shelve
Mr.. Bryan must follow matter of
course, but their weight Is another matter
perhaps equal in value to the claims of the
leaders before election. One has no knowl-
edge of the political situation il he does not
know that the democrats of the east and
north accepted Mr.. Bryan because they had
to-with ranking reluctance He does not
stand for their democratic principles. But
they took him with the determination that
BryanLsm was to be fought out for good
in 1900 The eastern democrats have
strength well exemplffed by Mr. Hill on the
floor of the convention and Organism Is a
principle which drove thousands Of eastern
democrats into the republican fold, where
they Will stay until it ceases to exist.
Attitude of Eastern Democrats,
Chairman Jones may speak for his con-
stituency and the south, but he fails to take
the measure accurately of the eastern DEM
ocracy If he supposes that they will not at
tempt to relegate Mr.. Bryan forever to the
rear. The south is perforce bound to stand
by any man carrying the democratic ban
ner. but the east Is determined upon reor-
ganizaton, and that this time they intend
that the dog shall wag the tail and not the
tail the dog. Democratic leaders who fail
to observe this do not discern the signs of
of the times
THAT Bryan himself sees and feels this
condition is shown as clearly as the clouds
in a bright sky. and that he intends with
his paper and other means to prepare for
the coming battle is most apparent Mr.
Bryan will never withdraw nor would he
have ever withdrawn. He has never said
he would withdraw, nor has he ever inti-
mated such an intention. On the contrary
from the very first up to the present day.
all his words and acts have demonstrated
his purpose to secure the presidency and
such is his undoubted object, first last and
all the time. Indeed his last Lincoln speech
is plain. public announcement of his can
didacy, and intimatlons from other sources
Of his past and present willingness to with
draw are inexplcable. save on the ground
that the democratic leaders were so shocked
and stunned by defeat that they have lost
touch with the times and recent history"