The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-12
BRYAN WAVE
 SWEEPS COUNTRY
UPHEAvAL OF SENTIMENT FOR
 HIM A POLITICAL MARVEL.
Gives New Hope to Party Leaders---An Factions Get in Line--Gold and Silver Adherents, Radicals and Conservatives, Ready to
 Work.

Washington Special to New York Her.
 William J. Bryan's sudden leap into popular favor with the conservative Democrats of the country and the fa- vor with which the suggestion that he be nominated for President in 1908 is received constitute one of the politf- cal marvels of the year. Nowhere have the signs of the times as they bear on the future of thls remarkable mar been studied more closely than in Washing ton during the last week. As State after State has swung into line for him the enthusiasm has grown until it would seem to be futile for any one else to aspire to the Democratic noni- nation. with even the slightest pros pect of success. .- 7 .
 It is a common saying of the politi- clans that the candidate who seems sure of the nomination two years in advance of the Convention seldom achieves the honor. but this is not borne out by the facts in recent years. wil- liam Mckinley got the nomination at St. Louis in 1896 because of the can vass he made in 1894. MT. Roosevelt was practically certain, of the nomi- nation in 1904, by the time all the State conventions of 1902 had been held. He had been indorsed by practi- cally all of them. including the State of New York. And if unity of purpose on part of radical and conservative democrats amounts for anything MT Bryan is nominated already.
 Gold Democrats and silver Democrats are ready to work side by side for MT Bryan. He Is radical enough for the radicals and conservative enough for the conservatives. He has been robbed by MT. Roosevelt of most of his pet pol icies, but will probably have no trouble in getting an issue on which to go be- fore the country. The men who sup ported the Palmer and Buckner ticket In 1896, are all getting in line for the son of Nebraska. Henry Watterson and David R. Francis. of Missouri, are out for him. and Indeed it would be diff f1cult to find democrat who is not willing to support him. In Washington this Is true of members of Congress. Nearly all the Democrats in either branch went to St. Louis under the Par ker banner Tn 1904, because Judge Parker was conservative and MT. Bry- an was radical. But they do not think MT. Bryan was so radical after all, after going through the first session of Congress following the inaugura- tion of MT, Roosevelt as President in his own right"
 Is the Only "Conservative."
 The truth of the matter. viewed through the spectacles of the Democrats in Washington, Is that MT. Bryan has stood still fin his position of twelve years and the waves of radicalism have rolled past him. The Democratic par ty is afraid that if it does not take MT. Bryan as it's candidate 1t will have to take some one who is so extreme as not to oe considered far removed from anarcny. Many business men. it is said by Senators who have been making inquiries. would prefer Mir. Bryan to several of those prominently mentioned for President in both politi- cal parties
 Many of these men believe that Bry- an will exert powerful influence in the approaching Congressional cleo tions. They also believe that he will be elected in 1908. Many of these men say that Mir. Roosevelt has laid the groundwork for Democratic success. They say that he has succeeded in get ting the republican party in quite as bad condition as existed just before the Presidential election of 1902. They point out that he is playing fast and loose in New York, where he has frit- tered away his influence with the par ty. They comment on the fact that he has all in one year smashed the Re- publican party under the leadership of Penrose and then has gone Into camp with the same organization, under the same leadership.
 They dwell on the condition in Ohio where the Foraker-Dick machine delib- erately purposes to keep Secretary Taft off the stump. They assert openly that the war between the President and the beef packers IS bound to cut the price of steer in two. with all it's at tendant political danger in the West They describe the tariff situation in tha ReDuhlican partV AS sure to breed trouble.
 With all these things it is little won der that cne Democrats are taking courage and rushing to Bryan as the man who is likely to win the next national election.