Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-06-23
WILL 1T BE BRYAN vs.. ROOSEVELT

COAo HIIuOuo4y Ol AIit pOiihlNcll HOl JZOu.
A slightly dominant tone is beginning
to appear in his utterances. He is op-
posed TO Parker for temporary chair
man and announces it in a way that
shows plainly he expects his wishes to
be deferred to. Other slight. but un-l
mistakable- evidences, appear of his
belief that he is of sufficient pIomin-
enCe, and with sufficient backing, to-
demand consideration in advance of !
the meeting of the convention. What
his attitude will be when the conveh-
ton gets down to business no man can
say. The suspicion exists, though, and
accumulates strength as the conven-
ton draws near, that Bryan still hank
ers after a nomination, unsought byI
him on the surface, that would make
Linn for the fourth time the leader OF
the Democratic party in presidential
contest.
Clark people claim that the Speaker
will be the nominee. Clark, it is true,
has the lead in the division of votes,
but is far below the requisite two
thirds of the convention. The gossip
about the two thirds rule being abro-
gated has passed away. Clark's
strength could not bring about such a
change in the ancient procedure of the
party. Bryan is reported to have, in
a measure, cold shouldered the Clark
boom after having given it his moral
support in the West. Hearsts infiu-
ence over Clark is given as the reason
for this Perhaps the real reason s
the fact that Clark is dangerous, with
such numerical backing as he has in
the convention. Wilson and Gaynor
are both being quietly boosted by
Bryan. The effect of all this, it would
sem, is inevitably to tie the conven-
ton up. That would leave the opening
for the advent of Bryan in somewhat
the same spectacular manner in which
he carried the convention of sixteen
years ago off its feet. That the Ne
!askan has another speech of the
Cross of gold style concealed about
his person is quite within the range of
political probabilities. That it will
he sprung when the psychological mo-
ment arrives is the view of many lead
ers WAC are Studying the situation at
Baltimore as it now presents itself.
With the Republican party split into
two defiant bitterly antagonistic fac,
tons led by Roosevelt and Taft, the
opportunity for the election of a
Democrat is, of course, remarkable. Il
almost justifies the saying that ANY
old Democrat can win this year" Hay-
ing lead the party for sixteen years,
having carried its banner in three I'M
successful campo gns, in one of which,
at least, money corrurtly used brought
about his defeat what more natural
( than that Bryan should entertain the
idea that the reward should come to
him now that victory is practically
assured? Bryan is but human He is
ambition. For sixteen years the prize
has hung before his eve, just beyond
the reach of his outstretched hands.
Today it is within reach, it is clearly
within his grasp, if he can secure the
nomination of his party.
Against Roosevelt and Taft Bryan
would assuredly win. True, there
would be many old time Democrats
who would dislike to vote for the Ne
braskan. But where could they turn?
! Would they find comfort in Roosevelt,
the most extreme type of radical the
country has ever seen. or in Taft.
clearly the servant of the political
bosses and the special interests fiabby
! in the extreme? Bryan is immeasur-
/ ably better than either of these two
men. Time has made him, as he him
self says, conservative. The silver
doctrine no longer cuts a figure All
OF his other ideas have been seized
upon by Roosevelt, added to, and be-
come popular with the masses Obser-
walton, experience, study, these things
have broadened and mellowed Bryan.
The deep seated antagonism to him in |
the East has largely passed into his
tory and becomes but a memory The i
Atlantic seaboard is no longer tho
enemy's country" Opposed to Taft
and Roosevelt, Bryan assuredly would
run strongly in the conservative East,
the solid South would be his, and the |
less extreme of the Western states |
might be regarded as safely enrolled
in his column Conservative Republic
cans, realizing that Taft cannot be ell
ected would assuredly turn to him in
order to assure the defeat of Roose-
Welt
If RrVan so maneuVeTS things aS m