The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-21
Conservatives OF the Party Are As
suming an Attitude OF any
body to Defeat Hearst. =
But Recognizes the Fact that Bry-
an WIZ Have Much to Say in
Naming the Candidate.
effect OF POSTAL ROW
Will Be Found in Better Methods
OF Fixing Clerk Hire AllotmentS
Service in Philippines.
indianapolis Journal.

WASHINGTON, March 20.-The con-
servatives among the Democratic leaders
here are becoming alarmed over the prog
ress of the Hearst boom. BY conserva-
tives Is meant all Democrats who are try
ing TO shake off the nightmare of Bryan
ism Not few Of them live in the South.
They are for anybody not welded TO Bry-
anism. They believe that Hearst stands
for all that Bryan ever did. and that he
Is radical of the Bryan stamp. How to
shake off the Hearst movement is a puzzle
TO this element From their point of view
Of the situation, il Is now the field against
Hearst. and any one Of the candidates.
Parker. German or Gray. would be salts.
factory. The letter written few days ago
by Senator Clay. of Georgia, is accepted
here as representing the opinions of the
younger element of the Democrats of the
South. He says in SO many words, "any-
body but Hearst"
From one of the conservative Western
Democrats here. who denounced free
silver, but supported Bryan in 1896 and 1900,
is obtained an expression Of what is re-
garded in some quarters the way mat
ters are lining up for the Democratic con-
vention: Mr. Cleveland, anybody who
was connected In a prominent way with his
administration, is out of the question
Such a nomination would split the Demo-
cratic party wider than il was after the
Baltimore convention of 1850 Bryan is a
controlling factor in the Democratic party.
He should not be nominated. but he will
have much TO say about the proceedings
and the results of that convention. The
nomination must be made by two-thirds
vote, and IL Is idle TO suppose that Mr..
Bryan's wishes will not be needed by
one-third of the delegates. AS to the
platform, which requires only a majority,
he may not be potent influence 1t
will be seen from these facts that Mr..
Bryan will have so large an influence in
the convention that any candidate who was
net truly loyal in 1896 will not have the
slightest chance OF being nominated at the
St Louis convention. The delegates may
tanper with the sacred principles of Bry-
anism. but the candidate to head the ticket
must have the approving mark of the Ne
braska man.
There are very few leaders of the Dem
ocrats here who would not indorse the
points made by this Western conservative.
The facts. as they are looked at, cause
the Democratic leaders here TO ponder
what Mr.. Bryan Is doing at his conferences
with Hearst, and what effect these con-
ferences may have on the delegation to
be chosen in New York. II Bryan is 10
control will he not insist on having
candidate of the Hearst stamp-an ultra
radical-which would mean that Parker
could not secure the New York delegation.
One of the strongest points indicating
regard is the fact that the records show
that at the elections in New York in 1900
Mr.. Bryan polled more votes than any
Democrat ever received in that State. If
this is any evidence of the Bryan power
among the Democrats Of the Empire State,
II would seem TO be idle for the party to
10
try for harmony and unification of the
Democratic party on any candidate that
is not wholly acceptable to the Bryan ele-
ment III the party
Ths furry over the postal investigation
undoubtedly had the effect TO delay the
adjournment of Congress a few days. At
least a week was lost account of the
debate over the various resolutions and
reports which came up. and the final re-
port of the Mccall special committee may
provoke debate of several days. Minority
Leader williams has given notice that
number of matters, including every point
relating to the postoffice investigation. must
be open to debate sufficient for the Demo-
Gratis to present their side of the subjects.
yet the expectation is general among the
Republican leaders that Congress will ad-
journ by the first or May. and possibly
sooner AT no long session of Congress in
recent years has there been such a sys-
tematic effort to bring about early ad-
1ournment by pressing the appropriation
bills to the front early and constantly. TO
the exclusion of all other matters. The
Senate leaders believe that an adjournment
can be secured by April IS. but they are
counting on the desire which prevails on
both sides in the Senate, not on the dis
position for debate which is manifested by
the Democrats IN the House. The meeting
of the Senate steering committee. which
facr nod for
purpose of outlining the order OF business,
produced the impression that practically
no new legislation of Importance will be
considered during the rest of the session.
Never before in a long session were the
appropriation hills so far advanced as they
at this time Ii is the general desire
among the leaders in both parties in the
Senate TO secure an early adjournment and
every effort will be made toward that re-
suit
The postal investigation and the reports
TO Congress. with the airing which these
subjects have received in the halls of Con-
gress and I'm the press. will be productive
of much good. Ii has developed that the
Intimate relations which the great Post
office Department bears 10 the people were
never fully understood by either the people
or their representatives in Congress. One
of the surprising things brought out was
the fact that more than a million dollars
is annually placed at the disposal of the
department by the Congress for the pur-
pose of paying clerk hire in the small post
offices throughout the country. In these
small postoffices there Is no stated allow
ance for clerk hire. and the law expressly
provides for such clerk hire in the post
offices as is regularly paid Moreover. ii
developed that according TO departmental
regulations certain allowances were made
for clerk hire for separating mails In the
small offices which were feeders for star
postal routes. but nothing allowed for
such mail separation 70, rural free delivery
routes The third-class and fourth-class
poStmasters are expected 10 pay out OF
their own salaries for such clerk hire as
they may think they need. except what
might be allowed for separating mails
stated What was more interesting was
the fact that the conditions with respect
to the allowances for separating mails and
the means whereby the department arrived
at the amount which should be paid were
secrets of the department. A postmaster
might be entitled for years to clerk hire,
but II he made no complaint he would
never receive relief II in connection
with such cases that the names OF MEN,
bers OF Congress became involved In the
Bristow report. An effort will he made as
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5. COL. IL :