The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-10-11
WANT BRYAN TON|THDRAN
POWERFUL DEMOCRATS AT WORK
SEEKING THIS END.
WILL ANSWER BEFORE JAN.

Next montn TOT an inpoTtdt NoH-
ference - Can Have Nomination "
He Desires II, All Admit.
washington, Oct. Son high au-
thority It may be said that men Of rec
ognized national standing In the dem
ocratic party recently made represen-
tations TO Mr.. Bryan having for their
purpose that gentlemans withdrawal |
from the presidential situation. 1t may |
be said further, on the same authority, |
that Mr.. Bryan has promised to make |
an announcement regarding his plans |
I'm an address before the first Of the |
year
Back of these representations Is the |
widespread and growing belief that, IL
nominated, Mr.. Bryan cannot be elect |
ed. If he can be convinced that this
Is the case, his friends guarantee that
he will withdraw, especially II 1t is
made clear that another may have
chance of success.
In November Mr.. Bryan Is to come
east for the purpose Of delivering
historical address. He will visit
friends in Washington at that time,
and arrangements have been made for
q democratic conference Of consider
able proportions in this city, for a con-
sideration OF the presidential outlook,
MT Bryan to be It's chief figure. Follow
ing this conference, Mr.. Bryan will
make up his mind what he will do, and
ne will deliver the address above re-
ferred to, in which he will announce
his program.
Confident Bryan Can't Win.
1t is the earnest desire Of the big
men of the party, representing all Sec
lions of the country, that Mr.. Bryan
may see his way clear to a renuncia-
ton of his presidential ambition, so far
AZ 1908 Is concerned. These men will
be present at the conference in this
city, and they will press their belief
home on him with full force.
The feeling inside the democratic
party that Mr.. Bryan cannot be sue
cessful next year is so strong that party
leaders hope there will be little serious
difficulty in bringing him to the de-
sired point of view. All kinds of cir
cumstantial and corroborative detail
are available by way of supporting the
general proposition, and these will be
spread before him in as convincing a
way as possible.
OF course, should he desire to make
the race, Notwithstanding the discour-
aging outlook. nothing will remain but
to nominate him, for it is everywhere
admitted that he has the party under
such perfect control as to make it GER
tain that it will do his bidding next
year, both as to candidate and plat
form.
Johnson Next Foremost.
One of the suggestive features Of
this democratic situation Is the rapidly
growing opinion in advance of any
statement from Mr.. Bryan, that he
will decline to make the 1908 race. On
this opinion many attractive theories
are being worked out. In all of them
Governor Johnson of Minnesota has a
prominent position. With Bryan out of
the way it is growing belief that the
contest for the nomination would lie
between Johnson and Judson Harmon
OF Cincinnati, attorney general in the
last Cleveland cabinet, but a "regr-
lar" In both the Bryan campaigns. OF
the two Johnson Is almost always
named first. There Is some talk of
former Representative Charles A.
Towne, once of Minnesota, but now of
New York, but this talk is thus far
confined to Mr.. Towne's personal
friends, who know what his ambition
Is politically. Judge Gray of Della
ware would probably be the nominee
after Bryan but for the fact that he
was sound-money man in 1896 and
1900. Although there is still good
deal of talk about him, those who are
well informed do not take it seriously.
Governor Almost Sure to Please.
Mr.. Bryan Is friendly to both Har.
mon and Johnson but for Gray he has
little use. 1t is one of the Bryan pc.
culiarities not to mix socially with men
who are not in the Bryan camp politi
cally. This popularity has kept Bry.
an from having anything to do with
such men as Grover Cleveland. 1t would
keep him from supporting Judge Gray
for the nomination and without that
support Gray could not possibly hope
to win. If Bryan should decline to
run next year, the party in return fol
the sacrifice would be almost certain
to permit him to name the candidate
and write the platform. Within the
last two months he has visited the
Harmons at their Cincinnati home
while it is we'll known that he is very
fond of the Minnesota governor.
Should Bryan take the 1908 nomina
fion, 1t is said that the party would
be fairly certain to nominate Governor
Johnson for second place. This would
be unusual, both men coming from the
same part of the country, but the
Johnson feeling is now so strong al
over the cast anI cOufh ~ o,;,ra q