The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-15
DEMOCRATIC LEADER SAYS
 HE WILL NOT SEEK HONOR
But Will Leave It to Party to
 Decide.
Mir. Bryan Says the Next Campaign Will Be An Appeal to Public conscience-He Thinks Democratic Principles
 Are Popular.

Lincoln. Neb. Nov. 14.-william J., Bryan will accept the Democratic noni- ination for President In 1908, but he will neither ask for nor make a light for 1t.
 He says that for year or more. lfs has been pressed to answer the quss- ton, win you accept the nomination'' 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 hin nomination will strengthen the Demo- cratic party more than the nomination of some one else. Not only will 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 diaap- pointed nor disgruntled. At the same time, he denies that he has waited this long in desire to see whom the Re- puhlicans are likely to nominate, or Go ascertain the chances of victory.
 Mir. Bryan says:
 Now that the election of 1907 is past and plans are being made for next years campaign, Mir. Bryan feels. that n statement is due to the public. Those who prefer another candidate are enc titled to know his position, ana thosa who favor his nomination have a right to demand an answer to the question so often put: 'Will you accept a nom nation His refusal to answer tlla question has led to the circulation of many false rumors and unfriendiy newspapers have taken advantage of his silence to misreprasent his atti- tuds.
 Won't Seek Ncminaflon.
 'Mr. Bryan will not ask for or seek ap nomination and he will not assume to decide the question of his advIsabil. fly. Ne has been so amply recon pensed by his party for what he has done and for what he has endeavoted to do, that hes cannot cleim q nonsina+ tion as q reward; neither should his ambition ba considered. for he has had honors enough from his party to satis- fy any reasonable ambition. The oniy question that ought to weigh with the party is whether the party can Dc strengthened and aided more by hie nomination than by the nomination Of ss:sse -asse-else.@ Is he serve the party by being the candidate, he will accept the commission and make the best fight he can. If. however, the choice falls on another. he will not be disappointed or disgruntled- Ills avail ability is a question to be decided not by him. not bv few leaders. not even by the leading newspapers that call themselves Democrats, but by the vot- CTS of the party and to them he en- 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.
 'Eie assumes that they will not se- Iect him unless they desire to make an aggressive fight for the application of Democratic principles to present con- ditions, and he also takes it for grant ed that the organization of the party will be in harmony with the platform. and will be composed of men whose pos lttical record will invite confidence and give an assurance that victory won, will not be a barren victory.
 "The Republicans must nominate either a reformer, a stand-patter or one whose position on public questions is unknown, but the course of the Democratic party should be the same, no matter which element controls the Republican convention. The Demo- cratic party must make It's nSnt For what 1t believes. While 1t may take advantaRe of Republican mistakes, 1t must depend upon it's merits for suc- cess and not upon the error of it's op-
 .;rhe action of the Republican con Yention may have It's influence In the of the relative avaiiabifI- ty of Democratic candidates, put iI ought not to have any influence in de- termining the questios whether the one chosen by the Democrats should accept the nomination. If the rank and ftfe of the Democratic party desire MT Bryan to make the race, he VIII mako 1t, no matter who may be the Repuph- can nominee,
 Democracy Is Popular.
 ..No one can estimate the chance of the marty in the next campaign with sufficient accuracy to make his candi- dacY dependent upon the outlook While Democrats have reason to be en- by the fact that Demoerattc policies are now praised by many who denounced them a few years ago, ana while further encouragement Is to be derived from the fact that the Demo cratic party is more united than 1t has been for many years and the Republi- can marty more divided. still the action of the Democratic party cannot DO made dependent upon~the prospect or success. The prospects now seem sA cellent but a Democratic National Con vention will be held. a platform adopt ed and candidates nominated whether Inc prospects are bright or gloomy. and inc marty must make the best fight " can whether 1t enters tho campaign with fear or with confidence Demo erats believe that Democratic prtn. ciples are sound anu LeHiociatiS Po't cies are necessary: they should there fore endorse those principles ane present stheir policies and then select as their candidates. those who In thetl judFment will give the party the great est assurance of benefit In case of VIC tory.
 If the members of the party be. ,ieve that MT. Bryan's nomination will help the party, its principles and tta policies, he will accept the nominA- lion whether the indications point to defeat or victory A defeat can bring no disgrace where the cause iR a just o..a hpt cowa rdice would be disgraco- fui. especially in one who is as deep ly indebted to his party as MT. Bryan Is.
 "The next campaign will be an ap- peal to the public conscience. The In have shown not only the corrupt use of large campaign funds