New-York tribune., 1908-04-08
THE JOHNSON CANVASS.

Governor Johnsons candidacy for the Demo-
cratic Presidential nomination has passed
quickly from the receptive to the active stage'
Only ten days ago the Governor of Minnesota
announced in a letter to the editor OF SWed-
ish-American newspaper that he would 40
nothing in the way OF organization to prom"se
his candidacy He also emphasized the passive
and nOn-aggressiye character OF MS aspiratlohS
Inv saving that he did mot enter the field for
the purpose of defeating Mr. Bryan or any
..otber man" The Tribune said then that such
an attitude was impractical and illogical IL
rh. Governor of Minnesota is TO be nominated
at all he can be nominated only by defeating
Mr. Rryan The Nebraska leader believes that
he is far and away the most avallable ca1'l-
date whom the Democratic party could choose
His supnorters hold that he deserves a renom-
ination as much because of his past services as
because of his exceptional abilities as pollt-
icaI agitator and organizer. Many states nave
already instructed their delegates to support
him at Denver. and it is wholly unreaSonaDle 10
s,npose that he will abandon the field unless
he is forced to do so by a concentration OF votes
on some other Democrat who can convince the
marty that his availability is more patent than
Mr.. Bryans.
The managers of the Johnson canvass seem
to have recognized that they must reverse the
Governors attitude of effacement, so far as Mr..
BRYAN is concerned. if they are to make any
headway in capturing votes for him. Ihey are
therefore plucking up little courage and are
beginning TO attack Mr.. Bryan, at least by III
direction The New York Times Is pleased
IA find in the circular letter recently issued
from the Johnson headquarters in Chicago this
ringing sentence: We take it for granted that
there is 10 necessity for the ravens of defeat
ITO perch on the banners of Democracy in 1908
simply because they did it in 1896 1900 and
"1eaI" This slur on recent Democratic PreSl-
Dental candidates is rightly interpreted by
The Times" as a direct challenge of Mr..
Bryans availability, since the ravens OF 1880
and 1900 had their rOOst at Lincoln. Neb- ana
still roOst there, while the raven house at ESQ
DIS. y. Y, is now diSmantled and permanently
out of commission. Shall the Bryan ravens
flap their wings again over the JeHersoHldn
roof tree. or shall a new and whittier feathered
bird of omen have a chance TO do the mapping:
The problem is thus reduced to one Of simple
elimination. Shall the Johnson raven pluck the
Bryan ravens feathers. or shall the veteran
fowl of Lincoln chase the rash st. Paul intruder
off the Jeffersonian roof?
The battle of the ravens seems to be really on.
But the new entry for bird of omen honors ls
unfortunately inexperienced and undertralned-
This is q big country and it takes time to plan
a fight for the Presidential nomination. Why
have the interests behind Governor Johnson
candidacy delayed SO long in challenging Mr..
Rryaus right TO leadership? They have lost
the Middle West and have now only the slight
est chance of making headway in the South.
The Southern politicians did not want to see
Mr. Bryan nominated for the third time, but
thev could find no substitute candidate TO turn
to. and accepted Bryan by default. The Mem
phis Commercial-Appeal' fought Bryan bitterly
in 1896 and supported him very perfunctOrily IN
1900 1t was enthusiastic for Parker in 1901
Yet it says frankly that the Johnson movement
TO sidetrack Bryan comes too late. Here Is lis
ANALYSIS of the situation:
Governor Johnsons friends are too late. II
they had felt that their candidate had in him
the material for Democratic Presidential
nomination they should have begun their fight
months ago II looks like a movement to
stringhalt Bryan.
Bryan has the nomination in his grasp. II
he lives Bryan will be the choice of the Denver
convention unless there is a revolution in public
sentiment, and do not believe there will be
q revolution. If Johnson ever an available
candidate his sponsors slept in their tents while
the Bryan men We're gathering in the delegates
This extract expresses the opinion prevalent
al the South among former opponents Of Bryan
ism. In their view the raven of 1896 and 1900
has already perched again, and there is no pros
pect of dslodging him from his post at the top
of the Democratic flagstaff.