Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-11-21
WILL BRYAN AGAIN
Be A CANDIDATE :
Leading Question Being Discussed
by Democratic Congressman.
ANTI-BRYAN DEMOCRATS
HAVE ALL DISAPPEARED
Possible Candidates for 1912 are Al.
ready Under Consideration BY early
ArrivaIs-Johnson and Harmon are
in the Lead--Democrati Governors
to be Reckoned With.
to be Reckoned With.

in the Lead--pemocratic Governors
to be Reckoned With.
Washington. Nov. I6.--There Is one
leading question for discussion among
the advance guard Of democratic con-
gress1nen who have arrived in Wash
ington for the opening OF the session
next month. will Bryan ever again
be a candidate for PRESIDENT, is the
query they PROFOUND, aud endeavor
to answer. The consensus or opinion
is that he waa not. though there are
not lacking democrats whose faith IN
the ultimate triumph OF the Peerless
Leader is not shaken
| There Is, properly speaking, no such
thing now as an anti-Bryan democrat
though there were plenty OF them be-
fore the Denver convention placed Mr..
Bryan at the head OF the democratic
ticket But Mr.. Bryan is no longer
an issue dividing the party, SO there
may be discussion OF his future ana
the party's future without any bitter
ness entering. Even Mr.. BIyan's most
ardent personal admirers are able to
consider the matte r calmly, and not
a few OF them are Of the present opin-
ion that the Nebraskan cannot hope
again to be his party's choice for
President. OF course. three years
from now, when the 1912 nomination
becomes live issue, they may line
up with Bryan, and there is no per-
sonal disloyalty in their present tend.
ency to crith al analysis
There is no attempt by Mr.. Bryan's
| friends to mini-nise the significance OF
the fact that the candidate for Pres
ident ran so far behind SO many OF
the state end local tickets. both north
and south. The election of democra-
tic governors in number OF northern
states, the remarkable disparity be-
tween the votes OF Bryan and Chanier
| in New York, and the fact of demo
lcratic losses and republican gains in
1.-THE south on the presidential tickets,
lis accepted by democrats as meaning
that Bryan was weaker In November
than his party. No one can demon
strate of course, that any other DEM
ocrat could have polled a larger
vote for President, but the fact was
established that Mr.. Bryan as the
presidential nominee was not able to
poll the full democratic vote No
other candidate for President It is AS
serted, ever fell so far behind the
total vote cast for other candidates
OF his party A critical examination
of other presidential elections might
show this assumption to be wrong,
but democratic members OF congress
are generally accepting 1t as true.
Already there is discussion OF pos
sible 1912 candidates. and it is only
natural that the democrats who have
been elected governors of northern
states should come in for considera-
ton. 1t Is recalled that the only dem
ocrat elected to the presidency since
the civil war came into prominence
from having won the governorship of
New York, and a governorship has In
other instances proved a stepping
stone to the presidency.
| Gov. Johnson of Minnesota, OF
course. is to be reckoned with, as he
had the largest following this year
aside from that of Mr.. Bryan. Judson
Harmon, who won the Ohio governor
ship, already Is being doomed. and In
diana democrats are telling their par.
ty colleagues to keep an eye on
Thomas r. Marshall, who defeated
Jim Watson for the governorship
of the Hoosier state. Marshall's nom
nation four years hence. 1t Is .declar-
ed, would make Indiana safely dem
ocratic state, and that would assure
comfortable start toward a plurality
of electoral votes.
II must not be assumed, however,
that there Is any disposition to read
Mr. Bryan out of the democratic par
lty or out of its councils. 1t is rec
ognized that he will continue to be
an aggressive and influential leader,
and 1t Is recognized also that any ac-
ton In 1912 which would tend TO
humilate Bryan would invite certain
disaster. No democrat would have
the slightest chance of success in 1912
who was Objectionable to the great
mass OF democratic voters who have
followed Mr.. Bryan SO enthusiastic