New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-11-17
BRYAN FOES IN COUNCIL
TAGGART At THE HEAD.
National Committee U7U Be Dis
rupted At NebraSkan Has Way.

| Thomas Taggart, chairman of the Democratic
! National Committee; James NJ. Guffey, of Penn
| sylvania; Roger Sullivan, of Chicago: William
! j. Corners, Democratic state chairman: De-
! Lancey Nicoll vice-chairnan of the Democratic
National Committee. and others will confer to-
| day. probably at the Waldorf-Astoria. with ref
erence to preventing the nomination of William
! J. Bryan at the next national convention.
| MT Iaggart will not reach town till this after
! noon. Mr. Guffey is at the Holland House. Mr.
! sullivan at the Belmont and Mr.. Corners at the
| Waldorf When asked last night about the con-
| ference Mr.. Corners said
| 1T is preliminary TO another conference called
! by Chairman Taggart to be held at French Lick,
! Ind, on Friday. There will be nothing formal
| about it, Mr.. Taggart wants to get as many
! representative Democrats as possible to go to
the French Lick conference. Probably at that
! conference the convention date. place and plans
! VIII be talked over. and then a call will be
issued for the meeting of the Democratic Ma
| tionaI Committee"
one Of the surprising features Of the situation
IN national Democratic politics is the recently
born hope that whoever the Democrats name
will win. Six months ago it looked like hope
| less case for Democracy. The conservatives in
| New York were inclined TO let everything go TO
the radicals no matter who the standard
bearer might be They did not care whether 1t
was to be Bryan Hearst.
Since the financial depression which became
acute about month ago, the old line conserva-
tive Democrats have been holding their ears to
the ground. The longer the financial depression
lasts the more hopeful they become that they
| can carve out victory-that is. If the financial
depression becomes veritable panic and dis
aster.
Mr. Taggart's main object in coming East IS
to talk things over with the Wall Street men
and then induce many Of the conservatives
| as possible TO attend the meeting Of the national
committee at French Lick on November %. The
control Of the national committee is wholly IN
the hands OF the gold bugs at this time. Mr.,
Taggart the chairman. is an anti-Bryan man.
The other officers of the committee are De-
Lancey Nicoll. vice-chairnan; Urey Woodson.
secretary and August Belmont, treasurer. Exec
utive William F. Sheehan. chairman;
August Belmont, T. E. Ryan of Wisconsin;
James NJ. Guffey. of Pennsylvania; Senator
John w. Daniel of Virginia; John r. Mclean,
editor OF THE Cincinnati Enquirer; James
Smith 1r Of New Jersey. and Thomas s. Mar
tin. Of Virginia.
There viii be a shake-up in the committee II
Mr. Bryan is nominated. Probably the only
hold-overs will be Trey woodson. Of Kentucky.
who always has been great admirer OF Mr..
Bryan. and Senator Daniel. OF Virginia
The Bryan men will not tolerate Delaney
Nicon as he is closely allied with the big
porations August Belmont is not politically
useful in Mr.. Bryans judgment. and he. too.
will have to go The Willing Ones blue pencil
also will fall afoui Of the name Of William r
Sheehan. In the unimpassioned judgment Of
Mr.. Bryan. William F. Sheehan wears horns
and hoofs. thinks only of squeezing the down
trodden. and would not recognize a plain JEFF
fersonian Democrat If he saw him breaking
plate glass windows at the Stock Exchange.
Az ovI NJ C,lIffe NJ nj nd
Texas surely he Is the Guffey that bores
for independent oil and as as he gets IT
turns It over 10 the Standard on Company
Gufey would have to walk the plank The
same way with Mr.. Mclean. who always has
made trouble for Bryan and didn't try to help
him when he IN 1896 and 1900 James
Smith, jr. of New Jersey is regarded by Mr.
Bryan as one Of the very cegs OF the machine
octopus There would be crapo the Smith
door, also. In fact. the old executive committee
is regarded by Bryan as a terrible example of
what executive committee should not be.
But Chairman Taggart hopes that by manipu-
lation he prevent all this tearing UP. II
there is going to he a Democratic tidal wave
as Taggart hopes, it will he worth while to he
connected with the national committee machine
One of the plans said to he under discussion is
for an enlargement Of the executive committee.
with a fair representation Of conservatives and
radicals on it.
It is understood that Mr. Bryan is willing
that Norman f. Mack. of Buffalo. shall be
chairman Of the national committee if Mack is
acceptable to the New York organization. He
certainly will not be acceptable to William J.
Corners. Democratic state chairman. Mr. Con-
ners will not sanction the selection Of Mack for
national chairman. and probably Charles F.
Murphy viii back him up in his objection This
being the case. the craftsmanship probably will
go 10 a Western
state Chairman Corners was at the Waldorf
Astoria yesterday. He is opposed to the nomi-
nation Of BRYAN principally because his rival
publisher IN Buffalo, Mr. Mack. national COM
mtteeman. is favorable to him. Mr. Corners
had no trouble whatever in boosting William r.
Hearst for the governorship. Mr. Hearst at
first thought that Corners was capital fellow.
Corners told the Hearst people that If elected
state chairman lie would raise a fabulous
amount OF money for the campaign Mr..
Hearst and his friends waited for Corners 10
come up with the money He never did. Mr..
Hearst gave something like $4,000 and Mr..
Chanler something like 5000. and that all
the money the state committee had Never
again will Mr.. Hearst capitalize William J. Con-
ners's campaign promises.
Doubtless Chairman Taggart will make it his
business TO call on Mr.. Hearst Mr.. Hearst is
a continuous nightmare to the Conners-M Murphy
people. His state ticket polled $4,000 votes
under the scales in this city That means that
any Democrat who aspires to long and happy !
life in politics. either in this state in the
ton, must consult Mr.. Hearst. 1t would not
be surprising If Mr. Taggart asked Mr.. Hearst
ra+,,rr 10 Tick with him and take |