The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-02
From gu.tIce te IaatIpG.
ANTE BRYAN DEMOCRATS.
Flnd That They Cannot Impede IT
 Progresa of the Nebrnskan.

Find That They Cannot Impede The
 Progress of the Nebraskan.
 Washington Special to Brooklyn Eagle.
 Charles s. Thomas. former Governor of Colorado. came to Washington last week with the idea of ascertaining whether 1t was possible to sidetrack a new candidate on whom all clements of Democracy nlight unite. After spending several days in Washington working industriousIy on his mission, he returned to the West convinced that while the secret conviction of an enor- nous majority of the Democratic Senators and Representatives is against Bryan, there is no likelihood of pre- venting his nomination at Denver.
 Ex-Governor Thomas is an ardent ad- mirer of William Jennings Bryan. He ts more of Democrat. however. than Bryan worshipper. and long ago be- came convinced that if there was to be under new leadership. Consequently, his motive in coming to Washington to review the. political situation were wholly unselfish. First of ali. ex. to be made of the Democratic Senators and Representatives to determine the real views of the minority members. Greatly to his surprise and encourage ment, he found that nearly ninety per cent of the Democrats expressed them selves as opposed to Bryan's nomina-. ton.
 When the. Colorado man began to sound the Democrats for public record the ninety per cent shrunk into in- significant proportions The members oid not hesitate to say under the pro- tection of privacy that they were did not have the nerve to say so pub iicly. The reason was simply that they felt that Bryan was the most popular candidate in the field. and they did not want to run the risk of injuring them selves politically by announcing pub licly their hostility to him.
 When urged in the interests of the Democratic party to come out and state their convictions. the willy Democrats pointed to the recent experience of Senator Daniel of Virginia, as an ex- cuse Tor not caring to go on record. Daniel has been one Of the most out spoken or BFyan's opponents. He even had the courage to tell the Nebraskan 10 his face that he ought to step aside. in the interests of Democratic har- mony. and permit another to be nomi'
 Apparently this kind of advice Is not reiishsd in Virginia. Primaries were held there few weeks ago in whtcl, the issue turned upon Bryan indorse- iaesely In the aeTtS d1ends prSySd to be cal prestige of Senator Daniel was somewhat damaged as q result. The significance of this incident has not been lost on the anti Bryan element in Congress, and they don't propose 10 fly in the face of what they regard as public sentiment by expressing openly their views about the Peerless Leader.
 Democrats on the inside state that there is direct connection between the fruitless mission of ex-Governor Thomas to Washington and the an- nouncement of last Saturday from Gov tlatly declaring that he is not a can didate for the presidency. Governor Johnson knew of the work that was go. ing on here among the Democratic leaders who are endeavoring to break away from Bryanism. The failure of this movement, according to Johnson's friends, has convinced him that it is merely a waste of ammunition to at. tempt to beat Bryan this year.
 There was another happening the other day which indicated the collapse of the Johnson boom. The Democratic state committee of Kansas met and adopted resolutions indorsing Bryan for the presidency. In the convention was ex-Senator William A. Harris. Harris had just returned to Kansas from an extensive tour of the East and South. travelling as the agent of the anti Bryan element and endeavoring to promote interest in the Johnson boom. His object was to line up back of this movement the conservative element of Democracy and unite the disjointed fac tions which are opposed to Bryan.
 The result. of his missionary work may be judged by the fact that he vas present in the meeting of the Kansas State Committee which indorsed Bryan and so far as is known offered not word of opposition to the send off which was given to the Nebraskan.