The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-15
Hereafter, He Declares, he VIII
Be Content to Remain "A Plain
Worker in the Ranks"
"ELKlNS BILL IS HARMLESS"
Asserts That Anti Trust Lcgisla-
ton So Far Is a Farce and a
Fraud and Evidently In.
tended to BE Such.

REPUBLIC C
New York. Feb. 14.-For the benefit Of
the voters of Eastern States and to set at
rest any doubts as to his future hopes or
ambitions, William Jennings Bryan, who
arrived here to-day to address the Women's
Democratic League in Brooklyn. declared
emphstically that under no circumstances
would he be considered as a candidate for
the Democratic presidential nomination next
year.
Mr.. Bryan stated that he entertained no
idea of ever again entering the presiden-
tiaI race. and stated that hereafter he will
be merely a worker in the ranks. Then he
paid his respects to the projectors of the
so-called antitrust legislation at Washing
ton.
The Elkins bill" said Mr.. Bryan, seems
TO be so m that the Standard Oil at
torney favored it. And the Nelson amend
meBt Is 80 weak and inefficient that Rep
resentative Littlefeld. who has been re-
ported as the leader of the antitrust move
ment in the House. voted against it. If
they stop there, even Attorney General
Knox would be able to say that the meas
ures are not drastic enough. that / be-
lieve being the phrase which he used in
describing the bill first submitted to him
by the Republicans of the House commit
tee.
FARCIAL LEGISLATION.
I'm other words. the Legislation so far
Is a farce and a fraud. and there Is abun-
dant room for believing that it was in
tended to be such. The quicker the reading
public is brought to a satisfaction Of this
truth. the better it will be for all con-
cerned."
How about the possibility Of your can
didacy next year? Will you be in the field
again? There is considerable uncertainty in
the East regarding your Intentions" was
asked.
II nave said on many occasions that I am
not and will not be a candidate for renomi-
nation again." replied the N~ebraskan, land
you cannot make that statement too en-
phatic. Under no consideration would l
again go into the field. and l say this now
for the benefit of my friends in the East.
! l am a plain worker in the Democratic
ranks and am content to remain as such"
That being the case" was suggested.
what in your opinion ought to be the real
issues of the next National compaign in
the Democratic side?'
HIS IDEAS ON THE ISSUES.
Events make issues" answered Mr.. Bry-
an. but the trust question and question Of
imperialism are just now necessary issues.
4 The tariff question and the money question
are also very necessary issues. and there
are many others. Blu. those l have mem
toned are now actively before the country
and before Congress"
How do these questions affect the con-
siderations of the problem Of cheap coal and
the interests of labor?"
while the tariff is more intimately con-
nected with the subject Of a fair and euuit-
able charge for coal and other products pro-
duced by organized labor, 1t is my opinion
that the trust question Is the one in the
main to deal with this whole matter"
Now as to probable candidates, eliminate
Ing yourself from among the list of possi-
bilitiesT' was asked.
L make II a rule not to discuss that
subject answered the former candidate.
Il notice, however, that / am credited with
having suggested the name of Governor
Garvtn of Rhode Island as an BILE
candidate That is an erroneous impress
sion: l read his annual message to the
Legislature and I found 1t to be a purely
Democratic document. For that reason I
suggested that it might be wise to consider
men Of his stamp among the possibilities.
But 1t seems that the men who have the
' making OF party candidates nowadays do
%