Atlanta Georgian., 1912-06-29
Ex- President Said To
Be Willing to Let Ne
braskan Head New
Party, With Second
Place for Himself.
By ALFRED HENRY LEWIS

the coming weeks which Will greatly
justify him in his wisdom.
Heney, chief rooter-not to say rioter
for Roosevelt, is in town. Crane, also
a riotous Rooseveltian, is with him.
Heney came here to see Bryan. He
has seen him; also he saw him for
Roosevelt and brought a message. He
who could say not only what that mes
sage was, but what will be Bryan's re-
ply to it, might, in the ups and downs
1t would cause, make money in Wall
Street.
There are two stories told as to that
message brought by Heney from Roose-
welt to Bryan. one of them is right
after a manner: perhaps both of them
are right. The more believable is that
Roosevelt is urging Bryan to bolt the
present convention even as Roosevelt
bolted the steam -rollered. money con-
trolled, Root handled convention in
Chicago, and unite forces with him.
According to the tale as told, Roosevelt,
as an inducement to Bryan. offers the
latter the first place on the new third
party ticket. He (Bryan) can have the
white house end Of the situation, while
he (RooseveID sinks modestly back to
second place and makes a race for the
vice presidency.
Alleged Roosevelt Contention.
Roosevelt holds that this last would
show the public that he (Roosevelt)
was moved of pure motives and not
mere personal ambition in his present
war upon Taft and the regular Repub
hcans
Heney is making it plain to Bryan
as are also divers other friends OF
Roosevelt Confidential friends, such
as William Allen White, are circulat-
ing among the newspaper men, max
ing it plain to the people that the Bry-
an strength against Parker, like the
Roosevelt strength against Taft, came
from the middle West and West. In
both conventions the conservative
strongholds were in the East and
South
Heney for Roosevelt insists that a
combination ticket of Bryan and Roose
welt, or Roosevelt and Bryan, would
sweep through the middle West even as
the grace of heaven through camp
meeting, and leave both of the old par
ties too dead to skin.
The other explanation of Heney's
visit from Roosevelt to Bryan is the
same story over, with the single change
Of Roosevelt for the presidency and
Bryan for the vice presidency.
RooseveIt's Real Motive.
You ask as to the probability Of these
tales being true. There is no doubt
that Heney has come from Roosevelt.
There is less doubt that his mission is
mission of politics, and has in view
the bringing together shoulder to
shoulder. of Bryan and Roosevelt in a
crusade against forces which both
identify as the public enemy.
That Roosevelt would so modify his
pretentions as to offer Bryan the top
place on the ticket and himself sink
back TO second position need not amaze
one. Roosevelt is a wise politician. He
knows the third ticket can't win. At
hest and most it would aid in beating
Taft and make his defeat not alone
sure. but disgracefu That with last
word is the target which Roosevelt
aims at. He doesn't hope to. elect
himself president He does hope to
destroy Taft His one burning wish is
10 tear that girthy chief magistrate
I'm two i'm the middle politically and
leave him on both sides of the road.
In Welding first place to Bryan,
Roosevelt would be sacrificing nothing.
Also he would eliminate the third term
crv which he knows better than any
other in the country, for he has re
ceived tons Of condemnatory anti-third
term letters. AS you look the business
nm and down there are scores of rea-
sons vhy Roosevelt would be willing to
give Bryan the top of the ticket.
Proposition Not New to Bryan
THE proposition is nothing new to
Brvan. It did not descend upon his
uneuarded head like bolt from the
unexpected blue. While Roosevelt was
6obtine his war in Chicago and the
steam-roller was at the height of Its
crushing work the tentative sugges-
tion of a Bryan Roosevelt ticket was
laid before Bryan at that time Bryan
was mute He was trying to edge NM
self into the Democratic nomination.
He was talking Wilson while mean
ing Bryan" and entertained a more or
less firm belief that somehow and In
some way he (Bryan) would be the
man
Bryan would sooner be the regular
Democratic nominee than run upon a
bolting ticket with Roosevelt, and yet
The chance was held open. Who could
say what Baltimore would bring forth
If might become worth while to talk
of third tickets to one who knows SO
well as does Bryan how to coin adver-
tisement into money. Bryan therefore
refrained from making a negative an
swer upon that Chicago occasion. He
would close no final door upon the bus
mess. The thing was left in the air
Bryan Waited Developments.
When Bryan journeyed from Chicago
10 Baltimore 1t was upon thorough
understanding with himself-an under
standing vaguely but no less positive
" hinted TO Heney and through Heney
II.