Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-14
GOMPERS COMES
OUT STRONG FOR
THE DEMOCRATS
DENVER PLATFORM SUITS THE.
WAGE FARMERS
LABOR LEADER WILL SUPPORT
BRYAN AND KERN
Representative of 100000 Voters
Says Republicans ignored Their
Demands and They VIII Act
Accordingly

Ply Associated Press.
N NAIRVIEW, Lincoln, Neb., July 13.-
H Samuel Gompers, president of the
n American Federation of Labor, and
inferentially head of 100000 voters Of
organized labor, affiliated with the fed
GRAFTON, will support William j. Bryan
in the coming presidential campaign.
In political circles here today this
announcement overshadowed all others,
even the arrival of John w. Kern, the
vice presidential nominee.
Mr.. Gompers' support was promised
to the ticket, but he specifically denied
any present intention of taking the
stump in the campaign.
Reports gained circulation that the
labor leader would speak from the plat
form, but he made no such announce
ment AS he left Fairview after a
fifteen minutes interview with Mr..
Bryan his manner was enthusiastic and
his promises satisfactory to Mr.. Bryan.
At present it is believed there will
be no need for Mr.. Gompers' services
in an oratorical sense. Mr.. Gompers
does not expect to be called upon to
speak publicly in the campaign. The
Republican convention, he asserts, ig-
nored the demands of labor, the DEM
ocrats acknowledged them in their
platform. His course is clear; he VIII
do what is demanded of him in the in
terests of labor, best expressed in tho
platform adopted at Denver. AS the
situation is at present Mr.. Gompers'
efforts can be better expended else
where than on the speakers stand.
Bryan Promised Indiana
Chairman of the Indiana Central
State Committee Jackson, after talking
with Mr.. Bryan, declared Indiana
would go for Bryan by 10000 votes.
He based this prediction on a canvass
which he said he had been making
since the middle of January. He an
ticipates the enrolment of many
Roosevelt Republicans on the Bryan
| list.
| Mr.. Bryan told his visitors that it
had been reported he would make q
| front porch campaign; he was by no
means certain of this, but admitted
he had promised to make a speech in
Chicago on Labor day. Aside from this
single date the candidate for the pres
idency had made no plans.
| Interest today naturally centered IN
! the visit here tomorrow of members of
the new national committee. DR.. Hall,
national committeeman from Nebraska,
yesterday stated the chairmanshlp or
| the committee lay among James or
| Kentucky, Campau OF Michigan, Lamb
of Indiana and Atwood of Kansas. To-
day speculation on the subject had
narrowed to Campau and James, TO the
latter largely because Mr.. Bryan has
expressed much admiration OF ms
political and intellectual qualities, and
Campau because of his admitted busi-
ness ability.
David r. Francis Is out Of it by his
own plea that though stories of his
connection with the Standard Oil were
untrue, the libels were sufficient to
prevent his running for any office.
Z Tom L. johnson OF Ohio has been
eliminated, 1t is said, by his fiat re-
fusal to occupy any office where he
might be asked for legislative favors
in exchange for campaign contrtbu-
Ions. MFR johnson has admitted Wall
street connections, but none with whom
he would care to mix politically.
Only Two In Contest
Current gossip has narrowed the con-
test to Campau of Michigan and Lamb
of Indiana. Neither has expressed HIM
self as desiring the position, but neither
has denied ambition in that direction.
Campau has been defeated for the
national committeeship from the VOL
VERNE state, but his business ability IS
undisputed; Lamb Is credited with
marked influence in his home state and
the peculiar abilities which make for
successful campaign manager.
Thus it is on the eve Of the meeting
of the national committee with Mr..
Bryan tomorrow. Mr. Bryan does not
desire to name the chairman himself,
but the absence of initiative on the
part of his supporters possibly Will
compel him in the end to name the
man.
No man in America is more admired
by Mr.. bryan than Ollie James OF
Kentucky, yet Mr.. James In all proba-
bility will not be named as chairman
of the committee, for he himself has
denied any of the requisites that make
for a successful campaign manager.
On the other hand, Mr.. Campau is
recognized as having all the qualifica-
tions of the manager of political war
fare. Mr.. Campau is not an orator of
noted attainment, but he is a business
man whose merits have not yet been
attacked.