The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-11-15
Peerless one Coyly Flirts With
Nomination
Delivers Himself of Statement nj
Omaha and He is Still Leader
of Democracy.
WHAT HE SAYS IN INTERVIEW

Lincoln, Neb., Nov. 1s.-William
j. Bryan will accept the Democratic
nomination for president in 1908.
but will not ask nor make a fight for
It. He says that for a year or more
he has been pressed to answer the
question: "Will you accept the nom
ination?" and he believes the public
is entitled to an answer and 20 know
the positions he occupies. The ques-
ton that ought to weight most, he
says, is whether his nomination will
strengthen the Democratic party
more than the nomination of some
one else. He denies he has waited
this long to see whom the Republi-
cans are likely to nominate or 10 as
certain the chances of victory.
Bryan, after making the above
statement. said: His availability is
a question to be decided not by him,
not by few leaders, not leading
newspapers that call themselves
Democratic, but by voters of the
party, and to them he entrusts, the
decision of the question--they are
the supreme court in all matters con
corning candidates, as they are in all
matters concerning the platform.
He assumes that they will not
select him unless they desire to make
an aggressive ght for the appllca-
ton OF Democratic principles to pres
ent conditions. and he also takes II
for granted that the organization of
the party will be in harmony with
the platform ana will be composed
of men with political records that
will invite confidence and give the
assurance that the victory If won,
will not be a barren victory.
The Republicans must nominate
either a reformer. stand-patter. or
one whose position. on the public
questions Is unknown, and the course
of the Democratic party would be the
same no matter which element con-
trolls the Republican convention. The
Democratic party must make it's fight
for what It believes. While It may
take advantage of the Republican
it must depend upon its
own merits for success and not upon
the error of its opponents.
"The action Of the Republican con-
ventlon may have It's Influence in de-
termining the relative availability of
Democratic candidates, but It ought
not to have any influence in determin
ing the question whether the one
chosen by the Democrats should ac-
cept the nomination. II the rank and
file Of the Democratic party desire
Bryan to make the race. he will make
It no matter who may. be the Repub-
llcan nominee. re-
"No one can estimate the chances
of the party In the next campaign
with sufficient accuracy to make his
candidacy dependent on the outlook.
While the Democrats have reason to
be encouraged by the fact that Dem
ocratic principles have grown in pop
ularity and that Democratic policies
are now praised by many who de-
nounced them few years ago and
while further encouragement is to be
derived from the fact that the Demo-
cratic party Is more united than II
has been for many years, and the
Republican party more divided, still
the action of the Democratic party
cannot be dependent upon the pros
pect Of success. The prospects now
seem excellent, but the Democratic
national convention will be held,
platform adopte5 and candidates