The Washington times., 1912-06-20
He Says Parker Will Not
Do AS Temporary
Chairman.
TOO CONSERVATIVE,
is HIS CRITICISM
Wilsonite Wires Nebraskan on Eve
of Making Choice, and
Gets Jolt.

BALTIMORE, June 2.-Because VIII
liam Jennings Bryan has served an uI-
timatum that Judge Alton p. Parker
is too conservative" to preside as tenn
porary chairman over the Democratic
convention, the Craftsmanship race is
badly mixed today, as the subcommit-
tee on arrangements Of the Democratic
national committee meets mere to Der
feet details for the organiza ton Of the
convention.
Bryan Is still a potent factor in the
Democratic party, as is evident TODAY
by the CONSERVATION which seized poll
ticians here when they learned the Me-
braskan would make a personal issue
of the suggested selection of Parker
as chairman. over the long distance
telephone from Chicago, Mr.. Bryan told
member Of the national committee
| that It would be suicidal for the Dem
ocrats to name a conservative like
Parker to make the keynote speech.
with four-ifths of the country pro-
sresslve.' said Bryan. the keynote
speech must be progressive, the nominee
and the platform must be progressive.
There is no use for the Democrats to
meet unless they do that
Consulted Bryan.
The chairmanship contest seemed to
have simmered down to desultory RI
valry between Judge Parker. Senator
O'Gorman, and Theodore A. Bell, when
members of the national committee
| thought II might be best to consult Mr..
| Bryan before making A selection today.
! 1t required about one minute to asS,sr-
| tain from Mr.. Bryan, once he took his
| place ut the other end Of tic long-dis-
tanc- WIRE that he would not consent
| Z,
had been put forward as New York )
candidate
1t was predicted IN The Times yester-
day that Mr.. Bryan might check the
| lather hurried plans of the committee
"n arrangements to acouicsce In the
suggestion of New York that Judg
| Parker be named. None of the cau-
,lhiates felt like openly opposing ;he
the New York delegation casts ninety
votes. and the candidates take the
position that they ought to have their
way about thing like the chairman
ship"
Mr.. Bryan. however. has made the
issue one of prozressiveism and con-
sGrvat,s,n. and he asserts Judge Park
er will not do. AS the members of the
national committee assembled today
snne were piqued that the Nebraskan
had interfered. and we're in favor of
ignoring his views while still others
pleaded for peace and harmony.
| Drlft 10 ParkeT.
The majority of the committee on ar
rangements Is regarded as conservative e,
although II has in its minority some of
the radical progressives of the party.
The majority, however, has rapidly
drifted to Parker for the last week for
several reasons 1t wanted to give the
place to New York. which Is an unin-
struCted State, and a doubtful one at
nfa cd 70
Parker as former candidate. He IL a
conservative. and the majority wanted
the conservatives to control the conven-
ton
For the last three days. however. there
has bee uncertainty in the Parker camp
because those in ii feared that Bryan
| would not like his selection. They were
anxious to know, however. whether this
opposition would be active or passive,
and they set about finding out. II IT
were to be only passive. they would
FolIowine this program, one of TIE
Wilson men. who had felt the temper
of the committee, called Bryan by long
distance telephone and asked II he
would agree to the selection of Parker.
Bryan told him that he had no choice
for temporary chairman. except that ne
wanted to see a progressive chosen.
He declared that Parker's selection
would be "a piece of criminal folly.
which the Democrats would immedia: T.
| ly feel because II would stamp the
convention as conservative
Bell Doomed.
Theodore E. Bell, of California, is be.
ing insistently doomed for permanent
chairman. He is a friend of Bryan.
Aside from the opening Of headquart'
ers by the active candidates for the
Presidency-Clark, Wilson, Harmon, and
underwood-and the activity of their
press agents and boomers, Baltimore
will not take real interest in the Demo
Gratis until the Republicans at Chicago
| close.
1t is conceded on all sides that the
Democrats will be Influenced to large
extent by what happens in Chicago.
Discussion OF the platform has hardly
started, except that the conservatives
appear to be organizing to oppose the
Endorsement of the initiative and refer.
endum and the recall planks that are
said to be favored by Bryan. All are
agreed that the tariff plank shall cal
for immediate revision of the tarin
downward and the trust plank shall de-
ma nd criminal DuniShment N,iOla n ors