The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-03-01
DEMOCRATS Discomfort.
Bryan is Not Looked Upon With Favor
by Any Of the Party Leaders.

Bryan is Not Looked Upon With Favor
by Any Of the Party Leaders.
Washington, Feb. 25.-This congress
closes with the democratic party in n
demoralizcd condition. Apparently II
has not recovered from the blow that
1t received when Theodore Roosevelt
was elected by an unprecedented ma
jority.
The democrats have failed to act in
harmony throughout this congress on
any important question. There have
been even greater differences of opin-
ion among the democratic leaders as
to the administration policies than
among republicans. While some of
the democratic leaders openly espoused
the policy of the administration, 9th
ers have been very bitter in their at
tacks upon the president. Even the
Southern senators have not been able
to agree in the Brownsville affair,
While Senator Tillman has been lead
ing the opposition to the president,
Senator Cubertson has been the warm
est supporter of the Brownsville or
der. He has gone further in this d-
rection than any Of the most ardent
/ supporters of the president on the re-
publican side of the chamber.
To add to the embarrassment of the
democratic party, its leader in the sen
ate, Senator Bailey, of Texas, Is being
openly charged in the Texas legislature
of being the representative of the Stan
dard Oil company. The majority re-
port of the investigating committee
vindicates Senator Bailey, but the mi
nority report has placed upon record
some statements which will be hard
to live down. Senator Bailey has been
in the habit of making charges against
the republican leaders during senate
debates. but when he comes back to
his place in the upper house it will be
for him to defend himself against the
charges that are now on record from
his own constituents.
In the house there Is a revolt among
the democratic members against the
leadership of John Sharp Williams
Already the opposition claims that it,
has enough votes pledged to elect a
new leader.
Representative De Almond of Mis-
souri, is out with a statement that he
Is candidate in opposition to Mr.. Will
iams. Some time ago an attempt was
made by the insurrectionists TO induce
the brilliant Representative Champ
Clark of Missouri. to lead in the fight
against Mr.. Williams, but Mr.. Clark
refused to be a candidate, and since
that time the insurrectionists have
been looking for a new leader.
Those who have watched the career
of both men are naturally inclined to
doubt the wisdom of a change from
Mr.. Williams to De Almond De Ar.
mond, although an education man and
man of unquestiOned integrity, is not
the debater that Mr.. Williams is. Mel
Their is he the magnetic leader that the
member from Missouri has proven him
self to be.
Mr.. Williams, when he arises to ad-
dress the house, never fails to com
mand its attention. He is an orator in
the highest sense of the word, and al
ways presents a strong and logical ar
gument. He does not entertain the
house as Champ Clark or some of the
other more brilliant democratic men,
bers, but his speeches make excellent
campaign documents.
On the other hand, when Mr.. De Ar
mond begins to speak the house is
soon deserted. Mr.. De Almonds
speeches read well and the members
prefer to read them in the Record the
next day rather than TO listen to his
delivery. The member from Missouri
has very poor voice and there is
nothing magnetic about his personal
| ity.
The only reason why the democrats
should seek TO change leaders at this
time Is that there is a general dissatis-
faction prevailing in the party. The
democratic members are looking for
change and IL they cannot bring it
about any other place, they propose to
cast aside one of the ablest minority
leaders that has ever been in the house
for doubtful experiment.
And Willim Jennings Bryan is not
recognized as the Moses by the dem
| Dorado leaders In congress That he