The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-02

washington. Nov. 30.---There Is one
leadins question for discussion among |
the advance guard of Democratic con-
gressmen who have arrived In WASH
inGton for the opening OF The session |
next month. "will Bryan ever again
he q candidate for presidency?" is the
onery they PROFOUND. and endeavor to
answer. The consensus OF opinion Is
that ne will not. tho 1gh there are not
lacking Democrats whose faith In the
ultimate triumph of the peerless lead
or a.. not shaken.
There Is. properly speaking. no such
thing now as an anti-Bryan Democrat.
though there were plenty of them be-
fore the Denver convention placed
Mr. Bryan at the head OF the Demo-
cratic ticket. But Mr.. Bryan Is no
longer an issue dividing the party. so
there may be discussion Of his future
and tho psrty's future without any
bitterness entering. Even Mr.. Bry-
ans most ardent personal admirers
are able. TO consider the matter calm
~. and not few of them are of the
present opinion that the Nebraskan
cannot hope again TO be his party's
choice for president. or course. three
years from now. when the 1912 NOM
spation becomes a live issue, they may
line up with Bryan. and there is no
personal disloyalty In their present
tendency TO critical analysis.
There Is no attempt by Mr.. Bryan's
friends to minimize the significance of
the fact that the candidate for presi.
dent ran so far behind so many of
ahs state and local tickets. both
nsrfh and south. The election Of
Democratic governors In a number ol
northern states. the remarkable dis
parity between the votes OF Bryan and
Chanier In New York. and the fact
or Democratic losses and Republican
gains In the south on the presidential
tickets. is accepted by Democrats al
rmsaning that Bryan was weaker II
November than his party. No one car
demonstrate. OF course. that any othe
. Democrat could have polled large
vote for president. but the fact wa
sstx xblished that Mr. Bryan as tn
presidential nominee was not able 4
poll the full Democratic vote. NJ
other candidate for president. 1t is as
snsrted. ever fell so far behind the to
tai vote cast for other candidates o
his party. A critical examination Q
other presidential elections Nigh
show this assumption to be wrons
but Democratic members of congres
are generally accepting 1t as true.
Already there Is discussion of pos
1ible 1912 candidates. and 1t Is on
natural that the Democrats who ha,
been elected governors of norther
states should come In for considers
tion. IL Is recalled that the on
Democrat elected TO the president
since the Civil war CAME into prom
nence from having ~Gn the governo
ship OF New York. and a governo
ship has I'm other instances proved
stepping-stone to the presidency.
Gov. Johnson OF Minnesota,
course. Ia TO be reckoned with. as
had the largest following this ye
aside from that OF Mr.. Bryan. Ju
son Harmon. who won the Ohio 81
ernorship. already Is being boom
and Indiana Democrats are tell
their party colleagues to keep an {
on Thomas II. Marshall. who defea
-Jim' Watson for the governors
of the Hoosier state. Marshalls no
ination four years hence. II is deciar
would make Indiana safely a Der
cratic state. and that would assur
comfortable start toward a plura
of electoral votes.
IL must not be assumed. howe
that there Is any disposition To T
Mr.. Bryan out OF the Democr
party or out OF It's councils. II Is
ognized that ne will continue To bs
aggressive and influential leader.
a is recognized also that any actio
1912 which would tend to humi
Bryan would invite certain disa
No Democrat would have the sligi
chance OF success In 1912 who
Objectionable to the great mass
Democratic voters who have foli'
Mr.. Bryan 40 enthusiastically to
defeats.
rt IL believed MIR. Bryan Will re
nize the fact that. however. un
ranted II may seem, there Is so
an amount OF prejudice against
within the Democratic party tina