The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-15
HARMON LOOKED
upon As WINNER
BIG POLITICIANS HAVE NICE LIT
TIE SCHEME ALREADY
WORKED OUT.
WILSON AND "lF"
THESE FIGURE EXTENSIVELY IN
Plan. BUT TAyORITE SONS
ARE EXPECTED TO TURN
THE TRICK.
BY Victor Elliott,

j.
bryan Will behave themselves and
not take the people Of the United
states too much la their confidence,
! democratic success at the coming
presidential elections is assured.
At present there are four leading
Democrats in the field. JudSon Har-
mon. governor Of Ohio: Woodrow
I Wilson. governor Of New Jersey, may
be William J. Bryan, and last but
not least Speaker OF the House of
Representatives Champ Clark, Of
Missouri. Several States have fav-
orite sons, New York. Governor Dix;
Massachusetts. Governor Fosss. West
virginia, Senator Watson, and Mis-
souri,. either Clark or Folk
This in nutshell. is the View taken
OF tha- Hltuatlon- at present III regard
to the Democratic aspect OF things
presidential. A plan on foot ~ ems
TO boost Governor Harmon. Of Ohio,
as the strongest man for the race
ID meet the requirements of the West
the South, and the North aud the con-
sars alive East, Fer the g%od @f the
party's interest IL is expected that
AL tavorite sons at the Democratic
national convention wiz make. a
bluff in capturing the nomination,
but In reality draw off in favor of
Judson Harmon.
This plan looks very well to the
Democratic "sharps' who are now IN
| Washington, but II might blow up
at any time, ST William j. Bryan
or Governor Wilson get on the war
path.
People and Politicians Differ.
So far there is considerable diff
ference of opinion among the poll
ticians and the people In the Demo-
cratic party about whom to nomi-
nate for president
The politicians are not for Wood
| row Wilson. Almost any of them now
| in Washington will tell you So. Neither
are the Southerners for him, though
reports from that section of the coun-
try strongly indicate q demand that
the New Jerseyite run. The Wash
ington politicians lean towards all the
candidates. They are, however, not
| dead set on having Champ Clark des-
| pite some representations to the ~1n-
trary. Neither are they entirely con-
WINGED that Judson Harmon is a win
ner But two men are Objectionable
TO the Democrats here Wilson and
| Bryan. They are Objectionable be-
| cause OF their radicalisn, BECAUSE 1t is
| thought they win likely preeipitate
! the party into a program of radi-
I caIism, scare the voters off, and cause
/ the sacrifice of an opportunity that
! the Democrats believe is the best the
party has possessed since the presi-
! dental campaign OF 1896.
] Here the Democrats ase largely
| talking Clark for the next president,
I and incidently waiting for something
10 turn up. Notwithstanding the fact
that 1t is known that Harmon is
| two or three times as strong as Clark
| among the politicians as he is among
| the masses Of the Democrats To the
politicians he looks conservative
enough To the masses he looks too
| conservative.
But as politicians have largely the
gay In the nomination Of presidents,
things favorable to Harmon are being
set up" farnon's campaign COM
! nlittee, which is already at work.
seems to have plenty of money II
| Is sending out a vast amount OF print
| ed matter to the press Of the country,
| exploiting the Harmon claims and
! advancing the Harmon arguments II
! has agents at work about the country
! feeling out conditions and laborlnS
with leaders. big and small, and gen
! orally trying to arrange those very
! practical details that require atten-
I ton in advance of a convention.
Nice Little Plan.
The plan that Is being. whacked into
share VIII happen something lthe TINS:
Governor Dix, of New York, Will have
the entire New York delegation. DIX
| is not to be regarded seriously, but
| he will do tho favorite son act,
Ohio will he solidly for Harmon.
Indiana Is to be nominally fer GOV
! ernor Marshall, but II is predicted that
the delegation will do anything that
Tom Taggart has "doped' out for 1t
| 10 do in the convention.
Massachusetts probably will fall over
| herself in instructing the Massachn-
setts delegation for Gene Foss. but Its
fayorite son is simply to hold his dele
Cation. to. gsllay slsspi fiolf-, af aRy col
msion between friends Consequently
with a delegation from Boston that
will he able to cooperate with those
of New York, Ohio. Indiana. and other
states similarly organize the success
of Harmon to whom the votes win
eventually be thrown, looms large.
Roher sullivan Is supposed to have
the Illinois delegation In his pocket.
while senator Watson. Of West Nir-
Cinia will come across with a full
delegation from his State. New Fne-
land is booked to have generally d.
delegation that inclines strongly to
Harmon.
So when the next national conven-
ton meets the boys who are repre-
senting Wilson. Harmon. Bryan. or
any others, viii he told t. get to-
gether, and. that If the party is TO
win a conservative, not too strong,
nor too radical must be elected, and
the most likely of the known Candi~
dates is Harmon. Whereupon ii is
reflected that there viii be hurried
scramble on the floor, Harmon's name
win be proposed, and amid an enthu-
siastic demonstration. he will be select
Cd as the chofce. = '~'' -'@'''o
The South's delegations have been In
the habit SO long of yielding to the
delegations and wishes of Northern al
lies that II IS Thought the total
strength OF the South can easily be
thrown over to the Ohio Statesman.
In the southwest Harmon is not so
strong, but he can hold out the hope
to the territories of Arizona and New
Mexico that his administration Will
rush the statehood bills through. IL
votes for him are subscribed. pro-
vided the present administration does
not cut this leverage from his support
In the northwest. Harmon Is wellnked
and through the middlewest, his ad-
vocates outnumber either CLARK or
Wilson. Altogether the election boom
of Judson Harrnon's seems TO measure
up well in the eyes of Democrats.
This Is the program as now eontem-
plated by the main managers anyway,
of the conservative Democracy. 1t