Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-03-08
ALL EYES ON DEMOCRATIC RACE

grandchildren.
|ALL EYES ON DEMOCRATIC RACE
Wilson Leading the Field With cIa,
| Close Second.
In the excitement attending forme
President Roosevelt's operations an,
outgivings for the past two weeks
writes the Washington correspondent
of the News and Courier, there ha
been a tendency to let the fight for tn,
Democratic presidential nomination
run along without the usual amount o
notice.
Now that "the Colonel has settles
all speculation with regard to his in
tentions by announcing his candidac!
for the Republican leadership agains
Mr.. Taft, notwithstanding the 800
and 1907 declarations that he (Roose
velt) would not accept another nomi
nation, the eyes of the anxious ar
once more turned at least half th'
time towards the Democratic campus
1t was already lively situation OF
the Democratic side, but there was lit
tie life in the Republican show unit
the entrance Of Colonel Roosevelt al
one of the principal actors became rea.
sonably certain. It will be a two-ring.
ed circus from this time on, with g
plenty happening in both rings to keeI
the crowd worrying over the danger
of missing some part Of the exhibit
tion.
Not since 1896. when the Democratic
party was split in twain and the Re.
publican party was so near it that
Major Mckinley for long time labor.
ed under the sobriquet of Bill the
Still" because of his hesitation in de.
claring himself for the gold standard
has there been anything in our nation
al politics comparable to the 191:
prospect. This time, however, 1t Is the
Republican party that Is hopelessly
and bitterly divided, while the Democ-
racy is managing, in spite Of occasion
al difficulties, to keep itself fairly vel
together.
While the Democratic machine ir
congress Is not running so smoothly
as it did during the extra session, II
must be remembered that there are
questions to handle in the regular ses-
sion that were excluded from the pro-
gramme last spring and summer. 1t Is
true that some serious Democratic
mistakes have been made at this ses-
sion; but with all that, the troubles
experienced are small by the side OF
the avalanche which has descended
upon the Republicans, some Of whom
including the president himself, be-
lieved until the very last that Roose-
velt would not be a candidate for the
nomination and were fearfully shocked
when the sad news was confirmed.
The Harmon boomers are very much
pleased with the candidacy Of Roose.
Welt, and hope that he will be nomina-
ted by the Republicans. They be.
lieve that if Roosevelt is the Repub-
lican nominee, Harmon will be the
logical Democratic opponent; and they
are confident that the Ohio governor
who took such a heavy fall out ol
Teddy" over the Paul Morton Incl
dent, can repeat the performance or
great stage with the voters Of the
country as the judges Of the match.
On the other hand, the candidate
who has made the most remarkable
gains in the way Of arousing interes,
in his personality and securing ex'
pressions Of allegiance from Demo
cratic leaders of the progressive type
is Woodrow Wilson. The fact thai
Wilson's press STUFF is the best put
out in Washington by any Of the presi'
dental bureaus, and there have beer
eight Of them all told, Is pretty gooo
proof that the Wilson boomers have
had the best material to handle. Theii
candidate is at the head Of the field
with all the rest Of the field against
him The question is whether or moi
he can go into the convention with the
necessary two-thirds to nominate hin
or with q following so near the neces-
sary two-thirds that the turn Of few
votes can do the trick"
| This very great chance that the
| Wilson men will not have an over.
whelming majority of the delegates a
| = of hn Ia
couraging the adherents of Speaker
Champ Clark. 1t cannot be denied
that the speakers chances have picked
up wonderfully within the past month;
and in the opinion of the majority o
the unbiased critics his chances are
now very much better than Governor
Harmon's. Harmon labors under the
handicap of Mr.. Bryan's bitter ant
unrelenting personal hostility. The
Nebraskan has chided Clark at times
and on one or two occasions quite
sharply. but has never displayed to-
ward the Missourian that rancOr ant
vengeful fury which make it certain
that Harmon as the nominee would b'
worse handled by Bryan than Parker
was in 1904. The three-times candi
date seems to like both Clark ant
Wilson personally. There Is no doub
that he cordially hates both Harmon
and Underwood.
| Another point I'm favor Of Clark ant
against Harmon is that the Speake
cannot gracefully retire in favor o
Harmon. while Representative Under
wood can retire i'm favor Of Clark
Clark is bound. as the result Of forme
IGovernor Folks course in yielding t.
the speaker a solid delegation from
Missouri to withdraw I'm favor of Foil
lif he withdraws at all. Indeed. thu
understanding between the two men Il
that if it becomes evident at Baltimore