Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-16
Poll Of the Politicians of the
South Indicates Johnson Can
Not Win
BRYAN SENTIMENT STRONG
Popular Demand for Nebraskan In
sures to Him Control Of All South
ern states-East Might Combine to
Defeat eryan-unit Rule His Big
Stick.

! Washington, Jan. 16. A careful
round up of democratic sentiment in
| the southern states discloses the al
will send delegates to the Denver con-
vention who Will support Bryan for
! the presidential nomination Several
/ of these states-in fact, in most all of
them--there is considerable sentiment
| for Governor Johnson of Minnesota,
but it will hardly be Of sufficient im-
portance to result in delegates unless
there should be radical change OF
alignment within the next sixty days.
In number of the southern states
Johnson would have part of the del
egates if there should be no unit rule,
but since the unit rule is almost IN
varably adopted in democratic conven-
tons the chances seem to be that this
johnson sentiment will not be able to
show itself in delegates The states In
winch there is dStiNe oPPoSAliOh ~
Bryan are Texas, Louisiana. Alabama,
North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland,
Kentucky, ana Tennessee. Bryans pro-
posal to Senator Culberson that Gull
person accept second place on the
democratic ticket this year will De
counted upon--once it is widely known
thn a.
tives.
Personally tor johnson.
During the past two weeks 4he
Journal correspondent has been at
some pains to sound democratic mem
bers OF the house and senate from
southern states on the presidential Sit
uation. These men, with the UNDER
standing that they were not TO De
quoted. were willing to talk freely.
Singularlys enough, almost tWo-thlrds
of them are personally opposed to the
nomination of Bryan, and would be
glad of chance to support Governor
Johnson. They say, however, that the
condition of party sentiment in their
respective states is such as to make
it unsafe for them even to let 1t be
generally known that they are against
Bryan. The common people are near
ly all for him. and public men would
take their political lives In their hands
az this time by failing to drift along
with this Bryan tide.
This situation is very similar to the
one which for long time has prevailed
in the republican party so far as con-
gress is concerned. Perhaps two-thirds
~, a a
at heart opposed to Roosevelt and all
his major policies, but so strong is the
hold which the president has on the
common people, not only OF the repub-
lican party, but of all parties, that this
opposition has not shown itself on the
surface. 1t is very much in evidence
behind the closed doors Of committee
rooms and in the cloak rooms OF the
two houses, but officially all the re-
publican members have always been
strongly pro- Roosevelt.
Unit Rule Favors Bryan.
In both cases it is fear that has made
towards of these men. The democrats
who oppose Bryan are just as afraid
to let the fact of their opposition be-
come public property as the republi-
cans who oppose Roosevelt are afraid
to tell the country where they really
stand.
The net result Of this democratic sit
uation seems to foreshadow Bryan del
egates from all the southern states.
under the unit rule, altho 1t is just
possible that something may turn up
later on which may change the sit
uation.
A brief analysis of the situation In
the south by states will indicate pretty
clearly how the tide is running. 1t
should be remembered that this analy-
sis, in every case, has been furnished
by members Of the two houses who
would only be too glad to get rid of
Bryan if such a thing seemed possible.
This roundup seems to suggest that
If Bryan is to be defeated, the great
states of the east, with New York
leading them, must initiate and man
age the contest. securing what help
they can from New England, Pennsyl-
vania, New Jersey, Delaware and some
of the states of the northwest. The
south is not to be relied upon either to
start the fight or to keep it up. Should
such a fight be made, with reason
able chance of success, the foregoing
analysis shows there are several south
ern states that may join it. This puts
it up to the east to get busy, and
probably explains the work the New
York World is now trying to do to
focus attention on line Of conserv-
alive possibilities.