The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-07-08

Honorable Bryan himself The Denver
convention will have to pass the
scrutiny of the country. If it makes
any mistakes, as it probably will, Mr..
Bryan Will have to answer for them.
The arrangements for the campaign
activities will then be largely completed
and the two parties will be more nearly
on even ground.
There is always the liveliest kind of
iockeying between Presidential candi-
dates to get the best of it in argument.
The one tries to put the other on the
defensive, for there are thousands of
voters in every state who like to be
with the man who can make the smart
est, most plausible talk. To that end
nice little duel of words is in prospect
between Nominee Taft and prospective
Nominee Bryan. The latter has. been
eraftily laying the foundations for an
argumentative campaign with his Re
publican opponent and the former has
been storing away ammunition against
the day when Mr.. Bryan becomes a full
fedged nominee. Both men know that
public sentiment is more easily swayed
today by logical discussion of issues and
events than ever before. That means
each will strive with great determine
ton to make a good showing in the
great forum of public discussion. Each
will be exceedingly wary about being
thrust into defensive position.
This feature of the campaign may be
in full operation by the middle of July.
Probably it viii be one of the important
preliminaries to the organization work
that both parties must conduct on an
extensive scale in the great struggle for
votes and for majority of the electoral
college.
The Democratic sachems, remaining
in Washington, say that the Mississippi
Valley will loom large in the delibera-
tions of the Denver convention. They
see how little hope there is for the
party along the Northern Atlantic sea
board-in New York, New Jersey and
Connecticut. Accordingly they are
making up their tables of a majority
in the electoral college next November,
with states in the Middle West. They
are able to make the winning additions
only by grouping Southern and Mis-
sissippi Valley states.
There is one precedent for this Demo,
cratic addition-the election of 1892.
For if the radical sentiment, that per
vades and permeates the Middle West,
should be strong enough to embrace
Bryan and Organism, of the 1908 varl-
ETY., and should sweep into the Demo.
cratic column in November the Middle
Western states that went for Cleveland,
Bryan probably would have majority
over Taft He would not need to have
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut,
or even Maryland and Delaware, per
haps, if he could have Indiana. Illinois,
Wisconsin, all of which Cleveland car
ried, and few Of the small states
farther west. Some of the more en-.
thusiastic Democrats talk about pros
poets in Minnesota and Iowa.
EAST VERSUS WEST.
However illusory such hopes may
prove to be, the gossip and comment
of the Democrats at Denver are likely
to center around political figures in the
Mississippi valley 1t looks now as
though the East might be quite forgot
ten in the convention s deliberations,
except as far as the votes of the dele
gates from that section are concerned.
The talk about Gov. johnson, Of Min
nesota, as running mate is persistent.
1t is by no means likely to subside, in
spite of the Governor S persistent state
ments that he does not want the vice
presidential nomination. He could help
bring the numerous Swede votes in
Wisconsin and Illinois to /
the Democratic ticket and would be a
most desirable acquisition, and, Incl. /
dentalIy, might reconcile. to a degree !
Democratic conservatives. who do not I
like BRYAN and will not like the radical (
platform on which he is expected to /
stand.
By the time the Denver convention /
meets. John Mitchell another Missis. /
sippi Valley man, will probably have