New-York tribune., 1908-07-04
CANNOT DEFEAT BRYAN
FOES LINE UP At DENVER.
Gray and Johnson Losing Ground
Tice-Presidency Still "in the Dir.
rBv telegraph to The Tribune. ]

the New York delegation to-day with ltS masked
batteries of criticism sweed the ranks OF the
opposition to the fullest extent. but in all Its
strength the coterie of active anti-Bryan men
only serves to demonstrate clearly the in
evitable victory of the Nebraskan So certain
has the nomination of Mr. Bryan become that
numerous reports were circulated to-day that no
other name would be presented to the conven-
ton, but the Johnson and the Gray managers
deny this emphatically and say that stories OF
that description are circulated by the over
enthusiastic but unprincipled" supporters OF
Mr.. Bryan.
The johnson and Gray camps are still full of
ostensibly confident retainers The Gray man
ayers have begun their systematic campaign,
visiting every delegation as ii arrives IN Den
Yer and presenting their strongest arguments
against Bryan. Their first statement is, of
course. that the Delaware jurist can surely be
elected while the success of the Nebraskan is at
best doubtful. They assert that Judge Gray ap
peals to every voter Mr. Bryan can secure and
many more who would not vote for man so
thoroughly identified with Populism. They de-
pict in glowing colors the glorious opportunity
Mr. Bryan has for sacrificing himself on the
altar of party spirit by withdrawing from the
race in order that Democracy may once again
win the confidence of the business interests and
insure its continuance" in popular favor. They
predict that four years from now the whole
country. remembering Bryan's remuneration,
would acclaim him disinterested hero and
would insist on his accepting the Presidency of
the United States
The answer of the Bryan men to this, after
they have pointed out the folly of supposing that
any one but Mr.. Bryan will ever insist on his
running for anything, is that the Democracy of
the country, not Mr.. Bryan, has chosen its
candidate. and that the will of the party and not
the will of the peerless leader" must be OBJ
served. The argument continues along these
lines until both sides realize that talking
complishes nothing. and the result of to-days
work has been that Bryan still has safe corner
the nomination, with Gray and Johnson los
ing ground-any ground they may have had-as
rapidly possible. Johnson will probably get
the vote Of Minnesota and few scattering dele
gates from certain Eastern states, while Gray is
sure only of his own state with some hope that
he may get a vote or two elsewhere.
The attitude of the Bryanites toward Johnson
is anything but cordial, and the Minnesota Gov
ernor is bitterly assailed than either of the
Republican candidates. It is doubtful IL he
could obtain any office at the hands of the con-
vention unless Mr.. Bryan took the fight on his
own shoulders. Indeed, it is practically con-
ceded that Lynch and his Johnsonites might as
well have remained away from Denver, and
that their presence here and their loud claims
have only aroused an animosity that seems to
preclude the possibility of Johnson ever becon1-
ing power so long the Bryan element con-
trolls the Democratic party.
NO CHOICE FOR SECOND PLACE.
The Vice Presidential situation stiu remains
doubtful. Gray managers are doing all in their
power to foster his boom for second place in a.
covert way. They had conferences with Ignatius
Dunn. OF Nebraska, who will nominate Bryan,
and Mayor Dahlman to-day, and although they
would not disclose the nature of the conversa-
tion IT is surmsed that they are sounding the
Bryantes to how far the Nebraskan will go
to secure the nomination of Gray for second
place. Kern, OF Indiana; Towne, Gaynor and
Harrison still being talked about here but
if Judge Gray withdraws from the race it is an
open fight, with the chances in favor of New
Yorker that the delegation can agree on.
Colonel James Hamilton Lewis, Corporation
Counsel of Chicago arrived here this evening
and is assuring his friends that there is no pos
sibility of inducing Judge Gray to accept the
nomination for second place.
Judge Gray assures me positively that he will
not accept the nomination for second place. and
I know he means what he said. He would make
an admirable candidate. but he cannot be in
duced to resign from the bench to accept second
place. and with his ideas of the proprieties would
be unwilling to run for the Vice-Presdency
while retaining his judicial position" said Colo
mel Lewis.
Judge Gray's friends declare that he is poor
man and cannot afford to resign from the
bench for the meagre chance Of being elected
vice-President. They believed that Presi-
dent Mr.. Taft would promptly and cheerfully
reappoint the Delaware jurist to the bench, but
intimate that, despite the fact that he received
his present appointment from President McKin-
lev he would feel considerable delicacy about
accepting reappointment from Mir. Taft after
having resigned to run against the ticket headed
by the Ohio statesman.
Many of those who have talked with Colonel
Lewis this evening express the belief that
Judge Gray can no longer be seriously consid-
cred for second place.
So completely is the Fice-Presidency I'm the
air. that there is now some idea that ex-Rep-
resentative Bell Of California, should he,
temporary chairman, capture the fancy Of the
delegates. may be chosen running mate for
the Lincoln perennial candidate. The nomina-
ton Of Mr.. Bell, it is argued, would carry the
fight into the Far West, where the loss of Con-
necticut and other Eastern states might be off,
set.
Cornelius A. Pugsley, ex Representative from
the Yonkers district. arrived here this morning
with Vice Presidential boomet in which he
seems TO have great faith, as he believes Roger
Sullivan of Illinois. will support 1t. The appear
of poster bearing the instruction, Vote
for George B. Mcclellan for President" created
something OF sensation in the lobby Of one of
the hotels to-day. There was only one placard
and a search Immediately begun to ascer
tain who was engineering the belated boom.
Nobody seemed willing to accept the response
biity for the placard. and IT was supmarily re-
moved