The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-07-16
Race for Presidential Nomi-
nation Will Be Most Bitter
ly Contested of Any in the
Past Forty Years.
MANY LEADERS ARE
IN RECEPTIVE MOOD
IN Fact Quite a Number In
sist that the Banner Be
Placed in Their Hands to
Head the Old Party.
az JONATHAN WINFIELD.

Washington, July 15.-Politic:ans OF
congress all agree that next year Will
witness one OF the most exciting races
for the Democratic Presidential nomi-
nation that party has known for for
" years, and now they are beginning
TO realize that there will be second
fight. This will centre around the as
pirations of the various possibilities
Sor the vice presidency
II II were not for the fact that so
many of the Democratic leaders want
TO head the ticket and insist that they
must be first or not at all, the ques-
ton OF filling the second place would
be a simple proposition. 1t could be
some such ticket as Wilson and Har-
mon," or Harmon and Wilson," or
''Wilson and Folk" or Harmon and
Foss."
But nobody imagines that either
Governor Wilson of Governor Harmon
would be satisfied to bring up the
uear. Both OF them went to the main
standard bearer, and in this ambition
they are not alone. Governor Foss, OF
Massachusetts has intimated to friends
that he would not take anything short
of first and the same Is true of former
Governor Folk, of Missouri.
A. Fer Champ Clark.
As for Speaker Champ Clark. the
Vice Presidency presents no attrac-
TIon Tor him. ne would rather De
Speaker any day than be Vice Presi-
dent. In his present position he is
positive force in the process OF law
making. II he were to take the office
OF presiding officer Of the senate; he
would be only passive force. ...
The fact. therefore, that all OF this
big timber Is bent upon leading the
ticket has caused many OF the Demo
cratic leaders now in Washington to
cast about for somebody to take the
second place-somebody who would
feel honored with the position and who
would not assume that he was doing
his party favor by allowing his name
to go on the ticket.
As the wiser politicians see it. there
are two men in the party who would
I'LL the Vice Presidential bill on the
Democratic ticket in every particular.
They are Foss and Folk. For instance,
II an Eastern man were nominated for
the Presidency, Woodrow Wilson 1t
might be-Governor Folk would be the
ideal man for the next place. He Is
q Westerner and the geographical de-
mands, which always weigh in making
up a ticket would thereby be salts
fled.
II, on the other hand, Western man
wins out in the next Democratic ma
tional convention. like Governor Har-
mon or Champ Clark. Governor Foos
being an Easterner. would seem to
qualify as no other man in his section.
He has carried strong Republican
state and is looked upon as the most
forcible Of all the New England Demo
Gratis.
Want Something Bigger.
But both OF these leaders have as.
pirations for something bigger than
the Vice Presidency. and 1t is not in
the least likely that either Of them
would consent to any program that did
not place them at the head of the tick
ct. Governor Folk has the indorse
ment for the Presidency from his own
0tute. anu uuS oSSh SahohuotS IVA
more than four years for the honor OF
leading the Democracy Of the nation
in the battle of the ballots in 1912. II
Is not thought now that he can Be
easily persuader to yield to his ole
friend but political rival, Speaker
Clark.
Governor Foss is not in the same
position exactly. but he is equally am
bilious to be the Presidential nominee
His friends say that nothing could in
duce him to take anything short o
the highest honor, and they say fur
ther that they will back him to the
last In this ambition. They maintain
that he is decidedly Of Presidentia
calibre. and that it has been a Ions
time since New England supplied tn,
candidate for the Presidency from
either party.
lnasmuch, therefore. rs these lead
ing lights will devote their time t
scrambiing for the higher honor, th'
lesses leaders will fight it out for tn,
Vice Presidency. Among the available
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