The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-01-14
But THEY CANNOT
PREVENT DISASTER.

corteIyou out of the Figuring SO
Far as Chance for Republican Prize
Is concerned-eosslp Of the Cap.
ftaI.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 14.-It
is likely that If any of the leading
Democrats in Congress were asked
IL they are opposed to the nomination
of William ]. Bryan they would
promptly answer that they are not
and that he is the logical choice OF the
party for President. Equally as likely
they would supplement this statement
with the further one that, II nominal.
ed. he will be triumphantly elected.
Down in their hearts they are bitter
Iy opposed to his nomination and pr.
vateIy admit that there Is no hope Of
his election. Their course is an ex:
ample of the political paralysis that
comes over men in the face Of a sit
uatIon in which the unthinking are
arrayed against the thinking, and are
largely in the majority.
This is the position in which ma.
jority of the Democrats. in Congress
now find themselves. These men are
not among those who are classed as
"reactionaries." and headed by Demo.
Gratis who in 1896 and 1900, refused
to support Mr.: Bryan and cast their
ballots in the first named year for
William Mckinley or for the Palmer
and Buckner Gold Democratic ticket.
They are Democrats who voted for
and Loyalty supported Mr.. Bryan in
both those contests. and who are now
hindered and not helped by the eff.
forts OF the men who opposed Mr.. Bry-
an each time he was a candidate.
These leaders in private converse.
ton declare that the Democracy is
by no means unanimous on the ques.
ton of Mr.. Bryan's nomination. but
that. even in many State where he has
had heretofore his most enthusiastic,
It might be called uproarious, support.
there is now strong feeling that to
name him this year would be unwise
and suicidal. In Oklahoma, Arkansas.
Missouri, Texas. Oregon. South Dako.
tn and other of the western States.
where Bryan's advocates have been
largely in the majority. they assert
there Is now a strong minority which
believes that the Democracy should
no longer tie itself to his political for.
tunes. They make an equally positive
claim for the Democracy of the south,
ern States proper. and declare that in
the general run of the solidly Demo
cratic States the mass of the voters
are amenable to reason and could be
brought into line against Mr.. Bryan II
the actual conditions were laid before
them.
But, who is to "bell the Bryan cat?'
That is the man they are looking for,
but thus far he has not been found.
They want a man well known to the
country and to his party, and one in
whose Judgment and party fidelity the
voters have confidence. It is held that
a declaration from such a man, point
ing aut actual conditions, and stat
ing frankly just why Mr.. Bryan can
not win, would clear the political at.
mosphere at once and put the party in
a position to take advantage of the
situation should the Republicans make
any mistake in their nominee or in
their platform. However. the hour is
here but not the man.
Meanwhile there is an active.
though secret. anti?Bryan propaganda,
with its headquarters in Washington,
and its moving spirits in Congress.
They are at work in all the States.
trying to spread abroad among the
Democrats who control the election Of
delegates to national conventions the
conviction that Bryan is not the man
to nominate, and through them to get
1t into the minds OF the voters. They
believe that New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania and some of the New
England States will send unpledged
delegations to Denver, led by men
who will seek to take proper advan-
tage of whatever there may be in the
Republican situation that promises
Democratic success. They claim also
that two-thirds of the southern States
will do the same thing, and in the
meantime. II IT is possible to Undue
the Democratic rank and file with the
belief that Mr.. Bryan's nomination
spells only party defeat, they hope to
prevent 1t. In doing this, they will
be careful not to make any attacks
on Bryan, but will base their course
on the thory that the party's interests