The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-04
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS
LOOK FOR RAY OF HOPE
Think They See the Gloom of Bry-
aniSm and Chicago Platform
Disappearing.


Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.-Democratic Lead
ers here undoubtedly think they see a way
out OF the cave of gloom in which the Dem
ocratic party has been hidden since the
awful days of the rise Of Organism and the
Chicago platform. All depends on the course
Mr.. Bryan adopts. The utterances of Mr..
Bryan during his European tour have been
scanned with eagerness by the Democratic
faithful, in the hope that they may find
some crumbs Of comfort in the way OF a
suggestion that the Nebraska leader is will
ing To quit on silver and support ANY DEM
ocrat." They admit that there as a plainly
avowed reservation in Mr.. Bryan's latest
quoted utterance TO the effect that he sees
no reason at present why he should not sup
port the nominee OF the Democratic party
this year. They are afraid he will find q
reason when the time comes.
What the Democratic leaders are figuring
on is a break among the Republicans over
Roosevelt, and a chance TO line up all the
forces of the Democracy on some man like
Judge Parker, or Olney. the latter pre-
ferred. Ii is admitted that as matters now
stand they have no hope or seeing Mr..
Roosevelt defeated for the nomination, but
they are expecting something 10 happen be-
tween low and June which will take him
out of the race. II Roosevelt is beaten for
the nomination there viii be high hopes in
the Democratic breast. IL Bryan can be
induced TO keep quiet and submit TO the
nomination of Parker or Olney, and silence
on the silver question, the Democrats think
they have a chance. Their all is staked on
these conditions.
One does not have TO seek far here for
mutterings against Roosevelt. OF course a
large part OF this undercurrent Of opposition
is due to the hostility of organized capital
on the one side and organized labor on the
other. The main complaint is that Mr..
Roosevelt is not a safe" man, and that.
impulsively, he does things injurious to the
cause of capital and labor. 1t is a singular
situation when a great public character
Is aSSailed by both sides In the industrial
world. The truth is the Democrats do not
expect to gather much real fruit from this
controversy. They are banking on the divi-
sions between Eastern and Western Repub-
ncans over Roosevelt, and a chance which
they think exists somewhere, 10 prove that
the acts Of the administration in regard TO
the Panama republic affair are open to the
censure OF the world, and especially TO the
censure of the conservative people OF a
nation that believes in fair play toward a
weaker nation. The Democrats are dill
gently working this mine. The first excava-
tions were disastrous 10 the party leaders IN
Congress-. MR German struck a blind lead
In his ardent Efforts 10 line up the Senate
Democrats against the Panama treaty. and
there is no attempt among Democrats TO
disguise the fact that MI. German seriously
impaired his chances for the Democratic
nomination when he tried that scheme.
Z Z
AS matters now stand, however, the initial
talk of the campaign year centers chiefly
around an Eastern gold Democrat for the
head of that ticket, and Mr.. Roosevelt as
the Republican leader. Very little is said
about the second place. and nobody at
tempts TO be able to suggest a sure winner
for that place on either ticket. When Gov
ernor Taft arrives here he will certainly be
sounded on that subject. but IL Is expected
he will repel II with vigor. Whether he can
strong effort will be made. In the meanwhile
the stock Of Senator Fairbanks continues TO
be away above par. The difficulty with the
leaders just now Is TO plan successful cam
paign committee organization II Mr.. Han
ma retires, which some of his closest friends
here still insist he will not, a new selection
must be made, and already IL Is discovered
that IL Will be no easy task to find the
right man. The Democrats are in the same
fix. Senator Jones, of Arkansas, being out
of the Senate and out OF touch with the
politicians of his State, is regarded as poll
itically a dead one" Not a few Demo-
Gratis always regarded him as all OF that
during both campaigns in which he headed
the Democratic national committee. With
Organism cast aside, as the programme is,
no national chairman of the Jones stamp
would be thought OF by the men who are
trying 10 put ginger into the Democratic
| donkey for this years race.
JOHN E. MONK.