The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-09-21
HOW IT LOOKS TO Him
AN ENGLISH WRITER THINKS
PEOPLE WANT CHANGE.
And That Woodrow Wilson is the
Man to Lead Them to Victory in
Its Coming Campaign.

The Fortnightly Review, the lead
ing review of London has an article
in the, August number just received
here under the caption Some talks
with Roosevelt" by Sidney Brooks,
who spent some time In the United
States and visited all sections of the
country in an effort to !suage the pol
itical situation as it stands today and
as to the trend of the Immediate fu-
ture. In the course of the article,
.Mr. Brooks writes:
The Democrats, so ar as can
judge, are right If feeling that the
tide is at last with them, and that
only some abnormal development can
forestall a Democratic victory in
1912. The question, therefore, Of
the candidate they put forward has
an Importance that it has lacked for
the past twelve years; and that nat
urally, when the choice of a stan
dard bearer is regarded as an almost
tantanount to his election, there is
an extra keenness to Sc "ure the nom
ination.
Mr.. Bryan feels thar he ought to
have it, but he knows that he cannot
get it. At the same time his power
for obstruction at any rate, remains
considerable and any nan whom he
openly opposes may have a hard tight
to win the convention. Such a man
is governor Harmon, Of Ohio, an en-
gaging popular and successful govern
or, but an ex-member Of Mr.. Cleve-
lands cabinet and the very type OF
that straight laced more conservative
school that Mr.. Cleveland represent
ed and that Mr.. Bryan has always
warred on implacably.
TO compass the defeat Of Governor
Harmon's candidacy may, l think, be
said for the moment to be the chief
aim Of Mr.. Bryan's political exis-
tence. To do it he win have to es-
pouse the nomination Of some other
leader; and there are at present only
two other men in the democratic
ranks. whom the average American
can be brought to regard as presiden-
tial possibilities. One of these is
Mr.. Champ Clarke, the Speaker of
the House of Representatives, who
is leading the party in congress with
unmistakable masterfulness and eff
feet, but whose reputation so far is
other congressional than national.
The other is Mr.. Woodrow Wilson,
the ex-president of Princeton Uni
versity, who was elected last Novem-
Der of the governorship of New Jer-
sey, and who, in the past six months
has worked hardly less than a revo-
luton in the politics of his state.
My view is that Mr.. Wilson decidedly
is ahead of all Of his competitors and
that. his union OF practically, elo-
quence, fearlessly, and a high dis
passionate and thoughtful sincerity
have not only profound y impressed
the country, but mark him as man
who is destined to lead his party out
of the wilderness. All present appear
ances point to his adoption next year
as the democratic candidate.
Further along Mr.. Brooks says
that "On pretty nearly every impor-
tant issue M. Roosevelt, I should
Judge, is in closer sympathy with Mr..
Wilson than with Mr.. Taft" How
ever he thinks party layolty will
keep Mr.. Roosevelt in the Republi-
can ranks, but adds:
Mr.. Roosevelt's friends, however,
being less committed by past respon-
sibilities, are freer to do as they
think best; and in the event of Mr..
Wilson being brought forward as the
democratic nominee. I am convinced
that many thousands of Republicans
ard among them, those who were and
are, and will remain Mr.. Roosevelt's S
most ardent followers, would vote
for him in preference to Mr.. Taft,
even though the president himself
were to sacrifice his personal predi-
lections to his sense of party loyalty y