The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-11
ROOSEVELT THINKS BRYAN STRONGEST President Believes Nebraskan Is Certain of Nomination PRESIDENT MAY CAMPAIGN If He Finds Taft Is Losing Ground With Bryan as Candidate He Will
 Come to the Rescue With
 Vieor.
PRESIDENT MAY CAMPAIGN

Vlqof.
 Chicago, May 10.-(Special.) )-WaIte
 Welman sends the following dispatch to the RecordHerald from Washington;
 Now that Taft's nomination at Chicago
 is assured and we know President Roose-
 velt's opinion of the futile third-term
 talk, it is interesting to know the opinion
 of the astute politicians in the White
 House as to the democratic situation.
 When We say MT. Roosevelt is an astute
 politician we say that which no one will
 question. not even his enemies. His elev-
 erness, his leadership his masterfulness
 over the republican party, he has amply
 demonstrated. MT. Roosevelt is a stu
 dent of public opinion as well as a leader
 of it. Therefore his impressions as to the
 chief men in the opposition ranks and
 their relative strength before the people is
 not only of interest but of importance at
 this public juncture. Mr Roosevelt not
 only believes that MT. Bryan is to be
 nominated at Denver but that he is the strongest candidate the democrats can nominate for President this year Many published statements have asoribed to the President the belief that Governor
 Johnson would be more dangerous to the
 republican cause than MT. Bryan. But
 these statements were founded upon a
 misapprehension. MT. Roosevelt has said
 some pleasant words about Governor Johnson, and, in common with all ob- servers of American politics, realizes the
 Minnesota governors peculiar strength
 But in the last analysis Mir. Roosevelt thinks MT. Bryan the stronger man, the one most likely to threaten republican success.
 The President has discussed this and
 other phases of the political situation
 with his personal friends. One of these
 friends made the remark: "A fact which
 many people overlook is that presidential
 elections are not decided by professional
 men, merchants, the men you meet in 1 hotels, clubs, parlor or sleeping cars Elections are determined by the men who work with their hands, and from whom we rarely hear much till the votes are
 counted in the boxes With that class of
 men-with the common people-you. Mir. President, are the strongest man in Amer ica. MT. Bryan is second. Both Judge
 Taft and Governor Johnson come after
 MT. Bryan"
 1 Without any mock modesty, the Pres- | dent permitted the reference to himself to | stand for what it was worth without comment; and he said there could be no
 doubt whatever of MT. Bryan's very great
 popularity with the masses of the people. | He made it plain that he is aware there is 1 opposition to Bryan as well as to himself
 among the business and professional men 1 of the country, but that he also appre-
 ciates the fact that elections are carried
 by 'the plain people," as Mir Bryan calls l them, and that with this class of voters
 the Nebraskan enjoys remarkable popu-
 larity.
 | The suggestion has been made here that | President Roosevelt may take part in the | coming campaign by making a number of | speeches for Taft It may be said the l President himself has considered the ad-
 ability of this without as yet reach
 ing any conclusion. He may or may not | in the end decide to override all prece- I dents and play star part in the strug- 1 gle. Precedents do not count for much l with MT. Roosevelt and if he should be-
 come alarmed over the outlook for the republican ticket during the closing days | of the campaign it is not at all improb-
 able he will take part in the battle If | he should decide to do so, it goes with l out saying he will be able to wield pow | erful influence in favor of the man who is l to be nominated for his successor. 1 Judge Taft has won high favor with the | more conservative men of the country. He | is now looked upon by all as of steader | and more moderate temperament than the President. less likely to adopt radical
 methods or do startling things. But be | has not made so much progress in winning | the applause of the masses. He has said l nothing very brilliant nothing that has | aroused enthusiasm. He is weak where l MT. Roosevelt is strong and strong where | Roosevelt is weak. If the campaign should l go badly for MT. Taft, with Bryan against | him-Bryan, who has the favor to very great extent of the same class of people 1 as are heart and soul for Roosevelt-it may be absolutely necessary for the Pres I
 | ident to take part in the campaign. Mr. Roosevelt realizes this. and therefore withholds his determination as to his course.
 One of the strangest things in the cam paign is the absolute inability of the east ern newspapers to understand the strength of Mir. Bryan as popular candi- date They do not understand his strength even in the east. They continue to speak of him as if he were an ogre a monster or at least an ass. They believe or af- feet to believe, that if he Is nominated at Denver all hope of carrying New York and other eastern states for the demo- cratic ticket will have to be abandoned. This is not the view held by MT. Roose- velt and other perspicacious republican leaders They believe Bryan is a little less strong In the east than in the west, but they realize that with Bryan or any
 one else at the head of the democratic ticket they have their work cut out for them in New York. It may be readily un- derstood that the writer holds no brief for any leader or any party, but 1t is the duty of a thoroughly independent ob- 1 server to make record of the impressions 1 of the public men whose political acumen 1 is above question.
 A,ottar rc,,rueetion ma de hera hy mon If