The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-03-14
Pennsylvania Congressman Says
His Nomination Makes That
State DebatabIe
ITS rs DELEGATES WILL
FAVOR THE JERSEY MAN
HE is the One Candidate Who
Undoubtedly Can be Elected
He Has Applied the Principles
of the Party to Present Day
Conditions"

Washington, D. c., March Governor Wood
row Wilson is not only the overwhelming choice
of Pennsylvania Democrats for the presidential
nomination. but he will make that Republican
stronghold dcbatable State If nominated, in
the opinion of Representative A. Mitchell
Palmer one of the Democratic leaders in Con-
gress, and the new leader of the Pennsylvania
democracy. Pennsylvania will have seventy six
delegates in the Baltimore Convention, and Mr.
Palmer reports that so strong is Governor Wilson
in the estima ton Of the Democrats of his State
that only Wilson men have offered themselves
for election as delegates in the presidential
primaries to be held in April
l think l am well within the mark when
say that the Democrats OF rennsyl vania are for
Woodrow Wilson for President, five to one as
against all other candidates. said Mr.. Palmer.
for delegates to the National Convention in at
least half of the districts OF Pennsy lvania. and
up to the present time none OF these has declared
preference for any other than Governor Wilson
SlXty-1our OF the Pennsylvania delegates will be
elected by direct vote of the people at the pri-
maries on April 18th. and twelve delegates at
large will be elected by the State Convention,
which, in turn, Is composed Of delegates elected
by direct vote of the people. Unless the situa-
ton should ina terra lily change between now and
the primaries, which is unlikely. at least seventy
OF the seventy six delegates from Pennsylvania
will! be committed to Governor Wilson's nomi-
nation
we III pennsylvania believe not only that
Wilson can and should be nominated, but that
he is the one candidate who undoubtedly can be
elected. His great strength lies in the States
where we must gain recruits in order to win the
electoral votes l haye no patience with the
Bourbon Democrats who oppose Wilson'S nomi-
nation on the ground that he has t, ken positions
upon party questions somewhat in advance of
the old fashioned t"nets of the rGrty and who
object to him Oh the ground that by reason OF
this he will secure large Independent following.
He has applied the prncrrs OF the party to
present day conditions. If he has shown himself
to have more regard for the welfare and happi-
ness OF our children than for the political dogma
OF our fathers. he is only keeping in close touch
with the best thought of the young and rising
Democracy of the nation who have their eyes on
the future rather the II in the rGst
No state in the Union has a larger proportion
OF men of independent thought and action than
Pennsylvania. where political conditions in
recent Years have been such as to make our peo..
pie disguised with the old fashioned political
methods. Wilson's appea is to the people direct
He shoots over the head of the political ma
chimes. Present political conditions in Pennsy-
vania have put the people in such a frame of
mind that Wilson's nomination. in my judgment
would make Pennsylvania a debatable State"