The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-30
MANY DEMOCRATS SEEKING NEW LEADER Pennsylvania Especially Turn ing Away from Bryan WHO WILL LEAD OTHER SIDE Failure of Taft Boom to Set the Woods On Fire Has Been Source of
 Disappointment to Ills
 Friends.
WHO WILL LEAD OTHER SIDE
BY. J. R. HORNADY.


 Harrisburg, Pa, June 29.-(special)- The resolute refusal of the Pennsylvania democrats to climb upon the Bryan band wagon may be traced to lively hope which they in common with other east ern democrats, entertain with respect to the coming White House competition. This hope, born of and nourished through years of exile, Is that a swifter coach may be produced before the race Is act ually opened. They have twice had their lungs filled with noxious odors and chok- ing dust when following in the wake of the republican glad wagon upon the Bryan bubble, and they have about lost confidence in the latter machine. Of course if nothing better turns up, they will climb aboard at the last minute, but for the next few months they will be found searching the heavens for some star like unto that of Bethlehem, which may point the way to some new leader.
 This turning away from Bryan when there is no other man at hand Is sig niicant. indicating, as it does dis position to push the search for new Moses. It is argued that the party has come to a sad pass when it contains but ono man who seems to possess the qualities of leadership. and there are many thousands of good democrats In this rart of the country who are unwilling to admit that such condition exists. "There are plenty of capable men in the demo- cratic party who would fit the presidential chair to a nicety,' they say. ''The prob lem is to locate one of these and pull him out into the limelight." The aid of Sherlock Holmes may yet be enlisted in uncovering some of these modest Napo- Icons.
 In the meantime there Is little talk of Judge Gray and little talk Of Judge Harmon, and some slight whisper in, of Governor Folk. But the hour is early, and the democrats of the east will h. plenty of time in which to cast about for man to stack up against the Nebraska man.
 The republicans, it is now developing, are not so cock-sure that 1t will be easy to pick a winner out of the abundance of material at hand, and there is some tai of a dark horse." The failure of Taft, who was undoubtedly the favored on, some weeks ago, to set the woods ol fire, has been somewhat disappointing to his friends. He has failed absolutely to arouse the enthusiasm that should have burned like a prairie fire, accord in to the expectations of his packers. His boom has been accepted good-natur- edly wherever presented, and that's about the extent of It. And while they nave been somewhat handicapped by the ap- parent preference for Taft on the part of Roosevelt, neither Fairbanks or Can non has succeeded in making as deep a dent in the surface of things as was expected Knox, who was the last of the quartette to get into the fight, has mace more progress, apparently, than any other aspirant, but he has a great many rugged hills to climb and treacher- ous st cams to ford before he can be sall to occupy commanding position. Republicans are alive to these facts and those who wish to avoid the necessity of giving the nomination to Roosevelt by main force, are also consulting the stars. TAere is a well defined rumor that an effort will soon be made to bring the various candidates and their friends to- ge .Aer with a view to reaching some de- cision on the matter of presidential candidate so that the nomination can be given to some one other than MT. Roosevelt. The fact Is well recognized that If there are a half dozen or more candidates before the convention a fight could not easily be avoided and fight Ia, just what the third-term boosters hope fo as it would make it easy to stam- pede the convention for Roosevelt and force the nomination on him. Those who are talking of this "compromise' hope that an agreement can be reached both as to the presidential and vice rresiden- tial candidates so that the convention can go off like a love feast and the patty can enter the 1908 fight with it's ranks undivided.
 An evidence of the present disposition to reacE out for a new candidate, Is seen in the suggestion that the Ohio forces, nov split up over Toraker and Taft, mi. Int centralize upon former Gov. My ron T. Herrick. 1t is argued that Her. rick would receive the solid backing of his state if Taft and Foraker could be induced to step down. This argument may be well founded. but Herrick has not indicated a disposition to try for the presidential nomination, nor is there any immediate likelihood of Taft and Forake dismounting their guns.
 The Clark horse" about which Congress- man J. Warren Keller talked so mys- teriously in an interview at Salt Lake City recently. turns out to be no other than Roosevelt and since this has be- come known there has been considerable laughter at the expense of the Ohio statesman. Roosevelt in the gufse of a daik horse was too much for the pol- ticians.