The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-04
New York Editor Frankly Op-
 poses the Nebraskan
CONFERENCE AT LINCOLN
Ridder Tells Bryan He Cannot Get the New York Vote and Asks Him To Withdraw In Favor of
 Man Who Can Win.

l2l1cOl1, NeD., July o.-ln ne SNicdiH OA callers and of letters all expressive of the best wishes for the political future of William J. Bryan was interrupted to- day when Herman Ridder, editor of the New York Staats Zeitung, called at Fair view and asked MT Bryan to withdraw from the contest in favor of some dem ocrat who could win"
 The interview between MT. Ridder and MT. Bryan was pleasant and of the frankest nature throughout MT. Ridder told MT. Bryan in as many words that he would oppose him openly in the Denver convention, but in the event of his being nominated to head the ticket that the Staats Zeitung and MT. Ridder personally would support the ticket.
 Mr. Ridder told Mir. Bryan that it was matter for the serious consideration of the latter whether or not he should ac- cept a third nomination and wreck the chances of the democratic party to elect its ticket at the coming election.
 'I do not believe you can carry New York state if you are nominated" said MT. Ridder.
 ''I cannot agree with you" replied MT. Bryan, 'but even though l am unable to carry that state, believe I can be elected without the electoral vote of New York"
 Riders Plank. Later Mr. Ridder gave out the sub stance of his talk with the democratic leader which lasted half an hour. During | the conference he presented to MT. Bryan a typewriter copy of a proposed plank advocating the removal of the tariff on wood pulp, to which MT. Bryan wrote across the bottom:
 'I am in favor of the above plank just the way it is.''
 MT Rdder will carry this bit of paper to the convention, and there is little doubt of it's being incorporated in the platform adopted by the convention. The plank reads as follows.
 Every consideration of public policy suggests the conservation of our wood lands and the removal of those import duties which put a premium upon de- struction of our forests.
 "Elxisting duties have given paper man. ufacturers a shadow behind which they have organized combinations to raise the
 
 a tax upon knowledge. The revenues de- rived from the import duties on pulp and printing paper are so small and the ben efits to be obtained from the abolition of these duties are so considerable that we indorse the attitude of the democratic representa- in Congress, who unani- mously favored the placing of pulp and printing paper on the free list. View on Resolutions. MT. Ridder talked very plainly on the proposed resolution on the death of former President Cleveland. saying: T think the resolutions In this re- gard should be entirely devoid of any thing ambiguous or of anything that would cause internal strife, and that the memory of Grover Cleveland should not be the cause of any quarrel.
 T think undue publicity has been given the matter and I do not antici- pate that 1t will be the cause of dis senslon in the convention" Asked how Mir. Bryan took the prop osition to withdraw from the presiden- tial race, MT. Rdder said he smiled but gave no direct reply.
 "Our talk was a most pleasant one' said MT. Ridder.
 I told MT. Bryan very plainly that I sh ould have to go to the Denver cor
  prepared to do all I could to oppose it. I also told him that in the event of the convention nominating him would support him on a conservative platform.
 My ideas of a conservative platform are that the tariff shall be revised en- tirely on trust controlled articles and that a tariff fur revenue only shall be retained on other commodities. These fl, mediate removal of the duty, but rather revise the tariff and reduce 1t by de- grees.
 Currency Question.
 "As to finance. l believe that securi- ties on which our currency sh ould be ba sed should be subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, and that collateral should be of such a nature as the different states permit savings banks to accept as an invest ment for their funds
 The injunction. plank. I believe, should favor a statute which will make 1t necessary for at least two judges to act on the final issue One judge sh ould issue the injunction and another de- eide the merits of the case. l did not have an opportunity to talk of this matter with Mir. Bryan, but I under stood that he is in favor of a system of this nature. rather than have the cases submitted to a jury"
 MT. Ridder when asked what he would oppose. said that he would not accept a declaration for free silver or for government ownership. He added Hlso that it was the understanding that Mir. Bryan considered the silver issue dead and that the democratic leader did not wish a government ownersh ip of railroads plank inserted.
 The vice presidential race had sec ond place in political gossip, chief in- terest entering into the visits of Mir. Ridder and Ollie James, who came to talk of his speech seconding the nom- nation of Mir. Bryan and the Common CTS editorial on Mir. Hearst Mir. Bry- an was the guest of honor at a ban quet given by the Nebraska Traveling Mems Bryan club tonight