The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-07-08

made up his mind whether he is willing
to run as the Democratic gubernatorial
candidate in Illinois. Unless he com
mits himself to trial for that nom
ination and Office, he will be discussed
much at Denver as a vice-presidentiaI
possibility. From the talk at Chicago,
during the Republican convention,
Mitchell is regarded as a formidable
candidate for Office in the Western sec
ton, although some insist that he would
not materially strengthen Bryan s
cause.
A third vice-presidential Possibility
is ex-senator and ex Representative
Charles A. Towne, of New York, who,
however, is very much of a Mississippi
Valley man, because he began his poIit-
zeal career in Minnesota and was
elected to the National House from
there and appointed to the Senate from
there, before he migrated eastward and
became a Tammany Congressman. Mr.
Towne was at Chicago during the Re-
publican convention and his friends
heard that he is exceedingly hopeful OF
getting on the ticket with Bryan.
After these three, the most interest
ing man to the convention will prob
ably be ex-GOv. David r. Francis, of
Missouri, who was Secretary of the In.
terror under Cleveland He was a Gold
Democrat in the 1896 campaign, but
since then has come back to the regular
camp. He will be delegate at large
from Missouri TO the Denver convention
and is now a good Bryan man. Gov.
Francis loves the game of politics i'm
mensely. Unless it be some one in
Chicago. Gov. Francis is regarded as the
most influential business head in all the
Mississippi Valley. He wants to man
age Bryan s campaign this year, be-
lieves i'm the possibilities of winning
the big Mississippi Valley states to the
Nebraskan s standard, and, it is said
here in Washington, has some chance Of
being comm ssoned to undertake the
task He has had sufficient experience
in politics to know how TO do things
and could raise more money for the
campaign than any other man who could
be chosen as National Chairman Of tho
Democratic party this year. He enjoys
great popularity in his section of the
country and is quite as well known as
a successful executive and shrewd man.
ager in New York as he is in st. Louis.
A lot of men are saying that if the
ticket could be Bryan and Johnson, with
Francis as National Chairman, the
Democratic campaign would start right
off with big whoop in all the Middle
Western States and that the Repubh.
can headquarters in Chicago would be
kept guessing all the summer and
autumn long. OF course, Mr.. Bryan,
as the prospective nominee. viii have
the say as to the National Chairman.
As far as known he has not indicated
whether Gov. Francis would be accept
able to him. 1t was widely circulated
some months ago that ex-senator Petit
grew, of South Dakota, the native Yer.
monter, who used TO have terrific bat
ties in the Senate with the late Mark
Hanna. was Mr.. Bryan s choice for
chairman this year. Pettigrew used TO
be Republican till the silver craze
swept over the far west but became a
pronounced radical in politics ard even
tuallv drifted by the Populstic route
into the Democratic party.
As far as the disaffected West is con-
cerned. the general conduct of the Den
yer convention is likely TO make a very
important impression, either in Mr..
Bryan s favor or against him. For
months Mr. BRYAN has been counting
the approval Of Republicans in that
quarter He has been praising what
he could find to praise in President
Roosevelt. knowing. of course, that the
President is more popular there than
anywhere else in the land. He has also
been tossing bouquets every little while
to Senator La Toilette, who has a tre-
mendous following in the Mississippi
Valley as far South as Kansas 1t il
10 be expected that he would have the
Denver convention supplement the char
lcter of work he has been doing in this
regard.