The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-11-15
Willing to Be Democratic
Candidate For President.
lSSUESAPFRS0NAl STATEMENT
Nebraskan Ready if Party Wants
Him In 1908 Race.
WILL NOT ASK OR FIGHT FOR IT.

Next Campaign, He Declares, VIII
He an Appeal TO Public Conscience.
Investigation Has shown Not Only
Corrupt Use Of Large Election
Funds, hut That the Only Source
From which They Can he Drawn,
Namely, the Big Corporations, Seek
to Convert the Government Into
Business Asset - Democratic Party
Stands For Doctrine of Equal
Rights to All, Therefore Have Moth
ing In Common with MonOpolists
Asking Special FavOrs.
LINCOLN, Neb., Nov. 15.-William
]. Bryan will accept the Democratic
nomination for president in 1908, but
he will neither ask nor make a hght
for it. He says that for year or more
he has been pressed to answer the
question "Will you accept the nomlna-
tlon?v and he believes the public Is
entitled to an answer and to know the
position he occupies.
The question that ought to weigh
most. he says. is whether his nominal
ton will strengthen the Democratic
party more than the nomination Of
some one else. Not only viii he not
seek or ask for the nomination, but he
will not assume to decide the question
of availability. and if the prize falls to
another he will neither be disappoint-
ed nor disgrurtled. At the same time
he denies that he has waited this long
in a desire to see whom the Republic
ans are likely TO nominate or to ascer-
tain the chances of victory. Mr.. Bryan
says:
"Now that the election of 1907 is
past and plans are being made for next
years campaign. Mr. Bryan feels that
a statement is due to the public Those
who prefer another candidate are en-
titled to know his position. and those
who favor his nomination have right
to demand an answer to the question
so often put, VIII you accept nomi-
nation? His refusal to answer the
question has led to the circulation of
many false reports, and unfriendly
newspapers have taken advantage of
his silence to misrepresent his attitude.
"Nlr. Bryan will not ask for or seek
a nomination, and he will not assume
to decide the question of his available
ity. He has been so amply recon-
pensed by his party for what he has
done and for what he has endeavored
to. do that he cannot claim nominal
ton as reward; neither should his
ambition be considered, for he has had
honors enough from his party to salts
fy any reasonable ambition. The only
question that ought to weigh with the
party is whether the party can be
strengthened and aided more by his
nomination than by the nomination of
some one else. If he can serve the
party by being its candidate. he will
accept the commission and make the
best fight he can. If. however, the
choice falls upon another, he will not
be disappointed or disgruntled. His
availability Is question TO be decided
not by him. not by a few leaders. not
even by the leading, newspapers that
call themselves Democratic, but by the
voters of the party, and TO them he in
trusts the decision of the question.
They are the supreme court in all mat
ters concerning candidates as they are
In all matters concerning the platform.
He assumes that they will not Sc.
lect him unless they desire to make
an aggressive fight for the application
OF Democratic principles to present
conditions, and he also takes It for
granted that the organization Of the
party win be in harmony With the plat.
form and viii be composed OF men
whose political records viii invite con-
fidence and give assurance that vic
tory If won wiz not be a barren vie
tory.
"The Republicans must nominate ei-
ther reformer a stand patter or one
whose position on public questions is
unknown, and the course Of the Dem.
ocratic party should be the same no
matter which element controls the Re.
publican convention The Democrat.
ic party must make the fight for what
it believes. While it may take al.
vantage OF Republican mistakes, it
must depend upon It's own merits for
success and not upon the errors of its
opponents.
IF the rank and file Of the party be-
lieve that Mr.. Bryan's nomination will