The La Jara chronicle., 1908-10-30

One OF the pest lnulCatlO tnat tue
Taft and Sherman ticket will sweep the
country In November is found in the
continued numerous defections of here
tofore prominent Democrats from that
party. Practically all of them give as
a reason that they cannot support the
thrice offered candidate and his change
able and unstable theories OF govern
ment They simply cannot bring them
selves to be identified with Bryan.
Perhaps the most mortifying Incl
dents which the Democrats have expe-
rienced in the present campaign were
in Massachusetts, where two big men
named as Democratic presidential cleo
tors declined TO serve on the rrround
that they were unable to support Mr..
Bryan and greatly preferred Mr.. Taft.
These men were Ferdinand Strauss and
C. II. p. Could. of Lyons Falls, both
business men of the first rank. Mr..
Strauss, especially, has been prominent
in the Massachusetts Democracy for
long time. Their decllnatlon TO serve
as Bryan electors caused a sensation in
the old Bay State and throughout the
country.
Democratic ConErcssmnn for Taft
Eugene Walter Leake, Democratic
Representative in Congress FROM New
Jersey, called at Republican National
Committee headquarters early this
month to offer his services on the stump
for William II. Taft. Though he has
been stanch Democrat all his life, he
is bitterly opposed to William Jennings
RryaD opJ hnrnr1sa Ia haIfn,-os tIot tho
election of Bryan to the Presidency
would mean the greatest calamity to
the country since the civil war, he Is
ready to exert himself to the utmost to
aid the election of Judge Taft. He is
speaking at Republican rallies through
out the Eastern States.
Democrats Organize to Fight bryan.
That the sentiments felt by these men
are shared by many in New York is
shown in the organization Of the "Cleve-
land Democracy" an association whose
principles are anti-Bryan. and which
has been formed, according to the artl-
cles OF Incorporation, "to revive the true
spirit Of Democracy among the voters
Of Harlem and of the whole city"
Headquarters have been opened and the
club is doing active work, not It. is al
most unnecessary to say, In the inter-
ests Of the continuous Nebraska Office
seeker.
John r. Dos passos, leading New
York lawyer and author, who has al
ways been Democrat, has come out
In long statement announcing his al
legiance to Taft and denouncing Bryan
is,,, Il
Bryan controls. Il am a Democrat" he
says, 81 expect to cast my vote for Mr..
Taft" William B. Davenport, a we'll
known Brooklyn Democrat, fer many
years Public Administrator of Kings
County, has denounced the Democratic
platform and is now vice president of
the Taft-Sherman Lawyers Club.
Anti-Bryan Sentiment Widespread.
Former Special City Judge Irving
X. Baxter of Utica, N Y, who has
always been a Democrat and was
elected on that ticket. not only has re-
pudiated Bryan, but will take the
stump and advocate the election OF
Taft and Sherman. Even up In Maine,
where the members of the Democratic
minority are supposed to be hopelessly
bidebound, there is detection. w. II.
Mclaughlin. OF Scarboro, for instance,
announces that he has become so dis
gusted with Bryan in the Haskell con-
troversy that he has swung over to
the Republican party.
After hearing Judge Taft speak at
st. Louis, ]. d. Houseman, of Denver,
Colo, a well-known railroad builder,
announced his conversion to the Re
publican party and its candidates. Nj.
Houseman had been loyal Democrat
for many years. This incident of
course, il a direct tribute to Judge
Taft's powers as campaigner, OF
which many evidences were produced
on his now famous western trip.
"ConversIons" in tho West.
At st. Joseph, Mo-. one OF the feat
ures was the conversion" Of w. f.
Davis, a prominent Democrat, who
went to a meeting at the stock YARDS
TO see Mr.. Taft. After sizing up the
latter Mr. Davis declared: Il
thought | would vote for Mr.. Bryan,
hut this man surely looks good to me-"
Another Missouri Democrat. Il. u.
Haywood, u Burlington Railroad con-
ductor OF st. Louis, evidently waa
similarly impressed; at any rate, ha
has announced that Taft will get his
vote. Noticeable among the vice presl-
dents at the Taft reception at st.
Louis were James L. Smith, head OF
the st. Louis Business Mems League.
and Frederick n. Judson, weli-known
lawyer. both Democrats who have de-
clared their intention OF supporting