Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-29
Cleveland Democrat Wanted.

The situation relative to the selection Of
a man for second place is not a question
of picking a man with a barrel. who car
swell the campaign fund. The shadow OF
a dead man has fallen upon this prelim
mary gathering of democrats. and it vii
loom large over the convention when ii
assemblies. A picture of Grover Cleve'
land, appropriately draped. is to be hung
In the convention hall, although the flags
on the building were not at half-staf
when he was buried.
Mr.. Bryan and his advisers are playing
politics as they have not played the game
before. They want the men who followed
the lead of Cleveland. the men who de-
serted party formalities for sound cur
rency and sane policies. to come back
They want them SO much that they are
willing to yield, to concede. to compro-
mise; in fact, to give up almost every
thing they cherish, save the nomination
of Bryan for President.
Personal and political friends of Mr.
Bryan who arrived here two or three days
tened to tell every one who would listen
that the peerless one would not ask how
his running mate voted in 1895 or 1900
Later advices brought by James c. Dahl
man, the cowboy mayor of Omaha. are to
the effect that Judge Gray is Bryan's
first choice for partnership ON the ma.
tional ticket.
Today the air Of Denver is hazy with
rumors that Judge Gray will not accept
the nomination for second place. But
they are rumors. all rumors. There is
nothing on authority. The second Cleve-
land democrat under discussion here fol
Vice President is Judson Harmon of Ohio
and as the situation stands today 1t is q
sane, safe and conservative prediction tina
one or the other will be nominated if h,
will accept. The man uppermost in thu
mind of Bryan for running mate, if IN
cannot win over the conservative wing o.
the party with Gray OF Harmon, 1.
Charles A. Towne Of New York.
But New York has many candidates for
second place on the national ticket There
is the Chanler boom. In the custody of
Norman E. Mack: the Francis Burton
Harrison boom. in custody OF a press
agent: Controller Metz boom. on the way;
the Bird S. Coler boom. in the air: the
mail. and others too numerous to men
ton. coming by freight: but the real
politicians who are here are saying:
whats the use?" 1t is not even proba-
BILE that New York will cut any figure of
Importance in the coming convention.
? Bryan Would Yield Much.
1t is not only possible but probable thai
there will be a real fight over the plat
form to be adopted. 1t is perfectly well
understood that Mr.. Bryan has prepared
a platform modelled on the Nebraska
state platform, which he wrote, bu,
his friends and press agents who are here
say that he will be willing to yield or
many points In order to receive the sup.
port Of the conservative wing of the
party.
The Bryan situation is described by ex-
Gov. Johnson E. Osborn of Wyoming, a
member of the national committee, as
follows:
mr.. Bryan has won over the people
Of the country to his way of thinking
by not talking politics. He has been lee
turing in churches and to Chautauqua
societies. talking directly to the people
he had talked politics he would have
aroused organized opposition. He avoided
that. and there is today no opposition
worth while. In that respect Mr.. Bryan
is a better politician than President
Roosevelt