The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-21
POLITICAL WISEACRES SAY HE
WANTS CLEVELAND'S MAYOR
FOR PRESIDENT
OHIO DEMOCRATS ARE BUSY
Eastern Democrats Informed That
the Next Nominee Must Come
From the Middle
West.
GoRMAN IS ALSO MENTIONED
FROM THE GLOBE BUREAU,
WASHINGTON, ID, C..

WASHINGTON, D. c., March 20.-Ever
since the recent visit of William Jen-
nings Bryan to the national capital, there
has been a smart revival of gossip as to
the future of the Democratic party. If
the Democrats in congress have grasped
his ideas correctly he is willing that there
shall be a reorganization of the party,
but he proposes to insist that it shall be
reorganized by the men who voted for
the nominees in 1896 and 1900. He does
not hope to be the nominee in 1904, but he
does expect to have something to say
when the time comes to pick out a
standard bearer.
One piece of gossip af1oat since he left
the city is that he said the nominee
must come from the Middle West. So
far as can be learned he did not mention
any names, but it is regarded as signif-
icant that, soon after his departure. Ohio
Democrats here began to mention Tom L.
Johnson, mayor of Cleveland, as the most
available man. An Ohioan is authority for
the story that Johnson is a full fedged
candidate for the Democratic nomination;
and he declares that the Cleveland mayor
is the choice of Bryan for president.
In the meantime the Eastern Democrats
are maneuvering to secure control of the
national committee with the view of
bringing the party back to where it stood
before Bryan came forward as its
prophet Plans are as yet immature and
Issues can be only vaguely discerned, but
they think they foresee at least two good
issues-revision of the tariff and a declar-
alton in favor of the United States
eventually letting go of the Philippines.
A wise warfare against the trusts, they
believe, ought to interest the people. If
they have their way there will be no eff
fort to resurrect the free silver question,
and all the 'isms" that characterized the
last two national platforms will be cut
out.
Talk of German.
Senator-elect German is the leader In the
minds of these Eastern Democrats at this
time. They believe he is the logical can
d1date for the presidency. Some of the
Eastern Democrats have swung so far
back toward the old order of things as
to suggest the advisability of drafting
Grover Cleveland once more. but the more
conservative men among the would be re-
organizers, happy as they would be over
an opportunity to vote for him, foresae
that the glorification of him at this time
would make 1t impossible to command
the support Of a great body Of Democrats
in the Western and Central states.
Just now, it seems. there are two forces
IN lie Democratic party maneuvering for
control, and the best informed Democrats
here are unwilling to predict what the
outcome will be. Unquestionably, they
declare, there must be some surrender
ing of views on each side if the two wings
are to come into relationship before the
next national convention. Many of the
representatives of tina party believe that
the congressional elections next fall will
show Democratic victories and that this
fact will tend to bring the party, as a
whole, together on some common ground.