The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-02
REPUBLICANS FEAR
BRYAN WILL WIN
somcsThink His Chances Better
Than Democrats Them
selves.
MORE TALK OF THIRD ri ]. TERM E
Relief That Roosevelt Is Trying
MORE TALK or THIRD i 1. RI ]. TERM e
Belief That Roosevelt Is Trying
to Force Party to Nominate
Him Again.
NJ ,vALTEn EDwAnD IIAI,I,1s.

, . q III Z
NY WAITER EDWARD IJAI,I,Is.
WASHINGTON, D. G., May Per
haps the most interesting feature o.
tile political situation at tho prcsen
time La the general belief on the par
or Democratic leaders that Bryan can
not win In 1908. while the Republican.
are seriously afraid he will WIN. who.
ever the Republicans nominate.
There is no question about 1t thu,
many OF the wisest heads in the kc-
publican party believe that President
Roosevelt has brought about condi.
ton that Will result in Democratic
victory In 1908. Some OF them unhesl-
tatingly say as much-privately, OF
course. for It is worth any Rcpubli-
cans political future to say such q
thing out loud. Representative Hay
OF Virginia, who is on intimate termA
with majority Of the Republicans OF
the House. stated to this corrcspon-
dent few days ago that he had not
heard a single Republican speak favor
ably OF the President and his relation
TO Congress. during the last session. II.
private conversation. but that. on tie
other hand, he had heard many OF them
express themselves In language not
suited for the drawing-r on the
President.
This statement Is borne out by the
experience OF the Washington corrc-
Hpondents. The President Is roundly
scored In private conversations by the
very men who praise him for public
consumption. The writer was talking
to-day with prominent Republican.
who has Just Quit tho public service.
pnd he expressed the opinion that
Bryan has every prospect In the world
of being the next President.
Either Horn Of the Dilemma.
In this connection he said that Mr..
Roosevelt Is responsible for situation
that makes Mr.. Bryan the best betting
proposition in the game to-day.
quote his language:
Things have come to pass where
Republicans Will have to do some tall
thinking II they are to get out OF the
dilemma in which they have been
placed. Suppose this fight OF the adj
ministration vs.. the INSTRUMENTATION
Is TO go on? And suppose It is fol-
lowed by the nomination OF Mr. Roos.
Welt or Mr.. Taft? You will find capital
under those conditions on the other side
OF the fence Capital has already fig
ured out that Bryan. with Republi-
can Senate, could do infinitely less
herm to tts interests than Mr.. Roose-
veit. or one committed to his policies.
with Senate and House behind him.
And then you are going to find labor
where you find capital Any ono who
studied election returns for the les
sons that arc in them must have dis
covered that. after all. where capital
is on election day. there labor Will be
found. In this case both the President
m and Secretary Taft have given offense.
to labor.
But. aside from this. let me tell Won
that when capital comes around on
= election day and says to labor that IL
the other side wins there will be shops
smut down. labor votes accordingly.
And the result usually is that capital
wins. And believe 1t would be SO in
this case. On the other hand suppose
DIR. Fairbanks, whom the President and
his friend declare to be the candidate
OF the s5.0o0.0o0 c0nrlracy. should win,
Is IT not easy to see that with this
brand upon him. placed there by Mr..
Roosevelt himself is 1t not easy to see
that Mr.. Bryan Will have a winning
campaign slogan. II makes me sick
to contemplate 1t all and / hope that
both factions will see the folly OF suc:i
pre-convention fight, and will wage
their campaign in the good old-fash-
toned way. This Conspiracy politics. is
too much like peanut politics for me-.
Views like this are heard every day
among prominent Republicans In
Washington. II is practically. the only
thing in the situation that Is giving
Democrats hope for 1908.
Down With Fairbanks.
It has developed upon the best OF
authority that the administration is go
ing to use all of the powerful patron
age It has to kill the Fairbanks boom
The edict has gone forth that no Fed
cral Office -holder shall be supporter
OF Mr.. Fairbanks. The minute ono
comes along who is supporter OF
Mr.. Fairbanks, civil service preach
lnents and high ideals about merit be-
ing the test OF otiice-holding are for-
gotten. and OF goes the head OF Mr.. 4
Fairbanks's man SO quick as TO make
1t swim.
In at least one State or which the
writer knows some thing, oflce-holders
have been told that IF you are not for
us you are against u.s. and lave been
given to understand that 1t Is a case
4 OF get into the band wagon, or get out
Of the service And some of them are
getting into the band wagon. Others
willifnot do so. and in the state or
Tennessee, for Instance, there will be
something doing unless Mr.. Brownlow
and his friends accept tho proffered
seat in the Roosevelt wagon. The