Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-07-08
Bryan Needs No One to Voice His Principles

years later, expressing regret and re-
pentance and not seeking party elect
them remarked to me when l expostu-
lated on their seeming dissensions:
well. we can't vote for president. for
congressman, for governors, for may
ors or for aldermen. All we can vote
for is delegates, so we vote for as
many different kinds of delegates as
possible and get our political excite
ment out of that"
The contest from Cook county, Ill.,,
which is practically the city of Chica
go. was more serious. The story of this
contest is an interesting one as show
ing some of the desperate endeavors of
faction-which, processing lip service
to Bryan, Is distinctively anti-Bryan
and nti-Democratic-to control the
Denver delegation. The primary law of
Illinois distinctly specifies the time at
which primaries shall be held in GER
tain counties, including Cook. The re-
doubtable Sullivan, fearing the effect
of delay, called the Cook county prima-
ries at an illegal time. As a result the
state convention which was to nomi-
nate state officers and elect delegates
was shown to be illegal, and its man
ayers prudently postponed the selection
Of the state officials. They proceeded.
however, to elect the delegates, which
were therefore tainted with illegality.
The opposition to the Sullivan forces
proceeded entirely outside of the law
to select delegates of their own, so that
two admittedly Illegal delegations con-
tested for seats at Denver. Committees
on credentials are not over given to
considering nice questions of law or
Justice when It is necessary to set the
steam roller In motion. The Repub-
lican committee under the guidance Of
Mr. Hitchcock taught us timid Demo-
Gratis few things along that line, and
If q committee on credentials should
act In a way displeasing to the Body
Of q convention in which is an over
whelming and coherent majority intent
on one purpose the road roller is apt to
roll over the committee.
The Campaign Generals.
1 cannot remember in sixteen years
of political observation a time when
the campaign had progressed as far as
it did this year without either party hav-
ing centered upon a chairman of its ma
tional committee To an observer from
the outside it would seem that the work
done by Mr.. Hitchcock in the prelimi-
nary campaign would justify his APP
pointment to lead the real campaign.
But perhaps the very effectiveness of
his work, and particularly the hard
hand with which he carried through
his purposes, has bred so many an
tagonisms within the party as to at
feet his usefulness at the head of the
national committee. Senator Murray
Crane, one of the Republican party 8
most astute politicians, would not ac-
cept the position because, it is report
ed, he thought that the real campaign
manager would be person with prom
inent teeth residing at Oyster Bay.
On the Democratic side there is no
chance of the reelection of Thomas
Iaggart nor any purpose on his
part to seek reelection. There never
| was any chance for the choice of
Roger Sullivan, and his name was men,
| toned only for the purpose of en-
barrassing Mr.. Bryan. Former Sena-
tor r. F. Pettigrew would make an
ideal chairman, but he himself has
said to me that he did not desire the
place and would not accept it, He
! viii be national committeeman from
his state and hopes to be member
OF the executive committee. There is
serious consideration OF Hon. D. r.
Francis of ST. Louis. A member of
Mr.. Cleyeland's cabinet, in 1896 Gov.
ernor Francis bolted the ticket with
loud outcries. He came back two