The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1910-12-29
NEWS NOTES OF
NATIONS CAPITAL
Especial to the Silver State)

There seems to be little doubt as to
the choice of the Republicans. Gus
tom, precedent and the general fitness
of the man make it reasonably GER
tain that President Taft will carry the
standard for the Republican party, and
the fact that organization is being
perfected to secure his nomination and
election does not necessarily mean that
there will be any serious opposition to
him in the convention, although the
insurgents have their eyes on the of
fee and there will be other candidates
in the stalwart class. Among the
Democrats, however, there is more
open field, and the possibilities of the
men ranking as available timber are
being closely scrutinized.
1t may be thought by many a some
what curious feature of the situation
that William Jennings Bryan is held
to be a factor of great Importance in
the coming fight. Not that he is like
ly to be candidate for the fourth
time, and yet, as they say in the south
west-quien sabe9 Even though he be
out of it in that way, "You can't elect
any man on the Democratic ticket, !"
according to a prominent member of
the minority in congress, "who is nom-
mated over Bryan's protest.
The reason for this according to the
same authority, is that "Bryan has
over 100000 personal followers who
will stick to him through thick and
thin. They would not support Will
son, or Harmon, or Dix, because they
believe Bryan would not support either
of them; and Gaynor is believed to be
in such poor health that he is out of
it.
One Fight at Time.
Champ Clark, who has kept mis-
friends from urging his claims on the
presidential nomination because he
thought one fight at time was enough
and he had his hands full with the
matter of clinching the speakership,
not be able to restrain them from the
vocating his fitness for the nomination
much longer. They are talking pretty
freely among themselves about il, and
they have reached the conclusion that
the Missourian is not only the logical
candidate, but that he is almost the
only one. OF course the other camps
will be heard from on this point, but
they are pointing out the fact that
Clark stands right with the factions of
his party, that he supported both Par
ker and Bryan and that he was chair
man of the convention which nominal
ed Bryan. Nevertheless, he was never
a bosom friend of the silverite, whose
fidus achates in Missouri was Senator
Stone.
Ollie James of Kentucky and Tom
Bell, of Georgia and other members
of the Minority who favor Clark, have
urged that the party go slow in pick
ing leader. They insist that it would
never do to elect man who like Cleve
land, could not get along with congress
They believe that any man who can
handle his party in congress as Clark
has been able to do it, will be able
to handle it when he gets in the White
House. Moreover they declare that
Clark is the only Democrat who can
carry Missouri, a factious state which
gave Taft a margin of 635 out of
total of 100000 votes polled They say.
that Clark, while a progressive, is not
"wild eyedo or rampant, and that as
speaker he will be second in power,
influence and Importance only to the
president, and will be constantly in the
public eye.
What was said in this column recen-
tly about the speaker and the rules has
proved to be true. The Democrats are
disposed to abandon their advocacy of
a committee on committees, and to "a
dopt the rules which have served the
Republicans in the House so wen.
Champ Clark is willing to take all the
responsibility or none. 1t looks as if
it might be Gar Clark after all May
be he will prove to be benevolent
despot.
Stars and Stripes May Wave on
African Soil
Probably most people will remember
that Government commission was APP
pointed some two years ago to visit
Liberia and investigate conditions
there
Whether the commission ever made
report or not or what that
report is the majority of the people
would find it difficult to say; but re-
newed interest has been given to the
matter by the publication of a book on
Africa by Edgar Allen Forbes, manag-
ing editor of Worlds Work. This
book. entitled "The Land of the White
Helmet" brought out by the Fleming
H. Revell company, Chicago, deals in
an interesting way with Mr.. Forbes
personal experiences during year
which he spent travelling over the
greater part of Africa, and especially
those portions being exploited by
European nations. A great deal of in
terest will necessarily attach to his
chapter on Liberia, the colony founded
by Americans for American negroes
on land purchased from the lords of
soil,'' and not secured by conquest,
gift, or robbery Mr.. Forbes tells in
an entertaining way how the visit of
the American commission on board
American warships was made neces-
sary by the apparent attention of
Great Britain to absorb the colony and
possibly, in measure, by the steady
enroachrhent of France, which was
crowding the boundary of Liberia near
er and nearer to the coast as French
agents discovered new rubber territory
in the district which aroused their
cupidity.
The diplomatic move by the United