Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1905-09-11
CLEARY LOST AN INNING
As Hot JOsher He Can't Expect to
Win Always.

There is nobody in these parts enjoys
a joke more than w. 3. Cleary, partic-
ularly if it savors in any degree of poll
ties. And there is nobody hereabOut
who has more fun out of mis- political
jokes than the selfsame w. b. c. Some
times he is even cruel in their prepetra-
ton, and if it is necessary to jeOpardize
the interests of some other democratic
politician in order to have his fun, it
makes no difference. And there are
those who have charged him with mix
ing in republican politics just to pass
away the time and make some of his
republican friends squirm. 1t is no
more than fair, therefore. that Mr..
Cleary should get hold of the short end
Of the stick once in a while. and yester-
day was one of those times.
There arrived on the train yesterday
morning c. X. Wolf of Dallas, Texas.
Mr. Wolf has the fortune to very
strongly resemble one William J. Bryan.
a democratic politician of some note
and at one time regarded by Mr..
Cleary as the only real Moses extant.
He may still think so, but whether he
does or not is not material for this
story. He still recognizes him as a per-
sonage of some consequence and worth
ones time and attention. Messrs. L. 5.
Clark and Robert f. Morrison of Pres
colt arrived on the same train with Mr.
Wolf and became very we'll acquainted
with him. After Mr.. Wolf mad regis
tered at the Hotel Adams the Prescott
men induced him to register again I'M
der the name of W. J. Bryan, as the
groundwork for a joke. He did So in a
fine imitation of the real signature. and
then the Prescott men Immediately
found opportunity for finding their
personal friend and political enemy,
Mr.. Cleary, and announcing to him the
arrival of Mr.. Bryan in the city. They
said they mad been with him all morn
ing and We're on quite friendly terms,
whereupon Mr.. Cleary was not dihident
at the suggestion that he be presented,
and gladly accompanied them.
The spurious Mr.. Bryan was fully
comoetent to play his part. After the
formal greetings, in which the most
obseq homage was paid to the
supposed leader. he asked Mr. Cleary
to sit down. and they entered into a
heIrt-tO-heart talk. Then Mr..
Cleary enjoyed q couple of hours of in
spiration that seemed to come straight
from the fountain head.
Mr.. Clark shortly joined the pair and
seemed to be enjoying himself greatly.
Mr. Cleary was amazed TO note that so
be 50 entertained by so ardent and pro-
nounced a democrat as Mr.. Bryan. Mr.
Clark at the same time was amazed
that Mr.. CIeary's blind devotion to mis-
leader should keep him so long with
mis- eyes shut It seemed 10 take him
longer to wake up socially than il has
politically.
Finally Mr.. Clark made bold to ask
M. Bryan concerning his attitude in
the next campaign, and he replied that
he did not wish to be quoted. but that
ne did not suppose there would be any
IMPROPERLY in taking the Arizona boys
into his confidence. so he said confiden-
TALLY that he expected to secure the
nomination for the presidency.
Then Mr. Clark asked him who would
probably be his opponent and he said
it was yet pretty early to venture an
opinion. h-It he believed that Mr.. Taft
would be chosen by the republicans
Surely" said Mr. Clark you do not
think you could defeat so popular a
man as Mr.. Taft do you. or any re-
publican that had the endorsement of
the Roosevelt administration? ?"
At this Mr.. Cleary glared. He
thought it not only indicate on the
part of Nj Clark. but almost insulting
after the confidential way in which Mr..
Bryan had been talking. While he made
no overt act, he looked as though he
was almost ready to engage in per
sOnal combat in resentment of such an
inference TO 4 notable guest. 1t was
not merely untactful. but a breach of
etiquette. Mr.. Bryan appeared to be
indignant also, and NJ. Clark affected
to be somewhat embarrassed that he
had spoken his feelings too freely and
perhaps rudely. And so the CONVERSE
tiOn drifted along until Mr.. Cleary be-
gan to get entirely too inquisitive con-
corning political details, when Mr..
Bryan brought the subject rather short
~ to a close by saying that ne seldom
cared to talk very much about politics
on Sunday.
In due season the interview broke up,
and it was not until Mr.. Cleary was
outside again with his friends that he
learned that as a horse he had not only
been led to water, but had been made
to drink
After it was all over Mr.. Cleary made
an honest confession to those who had
jobbed him. He said that he was some
what surprised at certain statements
of the supposed Mr.. Bryan and noted
some peculiarities that led him to be-
Iieve he had perhaps misjudged the
man in some ways, but his clear, must
cal and well modulated voice was re-
assuring and he never for a minute
suspected foul play. He said he felt
highly honored and only regretted that
his family was away from home. so
he could not invite Mr. Bryan up to the
house for dinner. He said that as ne
sat in the hotel listening to proposed
plans for the next campaign, visions of
a job at the court of st. James or some
other seaport town rose up before him
and he congratulated himself that while
all the other Maricopa county demo-
Gratis were out in the field raising grass
he was sitting in Hotel Adams cusn-
toned chair making hay. and then"
said Mr. CIeary turning to Mr. Wolf,
ito think of the ignominy of the thing,
that l, known in this community as a
reformer, should mistake a whisky
drummer for the adored and adorable
William J. BRYAN"