Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-01-23
BRYAN IN CABINET
PARTY LEADERS BELIEVE HE
WILL BE SECRETARY
OF STATE.
MAY HAVE A PRIVATE ZIP"
If Nebrasksn Does Accept the Port
folio, They Say, 1t Means Wilson
Will Go to Limit in Fighting for
Progressive Measures.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington-The Democrats in
Washington sincerely believe that VIII
liam Jennings Bryan will be the next
secretary of state. The Democrats
may be wrong in their reckoning, but
Bryan for the first secretaryship' is
the direct expression Of belief Of those
Democrats in congress prominent
enough to be addressed among those
who can be admitted without the pass
word into the party's council cham
bers
It has been said in dispatches prior
to this that Mr.. Wilson of necessity
must ask Mr.. Bryan to be his secre-
tary of state. The Nebraskan is rec
ognized even by those Democrats who
do not agree with him as the most
prominent and influential man in their
party today, unless, Of course. the
president-elect be excepted. 1t never
has been said prior to this with any
definiteness that the Democratic lead
ers really believed that Mr.. Bryan
would accept 'the first PORTFOLIO but
now the current of Democratic opin-
ion sets in strongly toward the con-
viction that he will be in the cabinet.
The Democratic leaders admit that
they have no definite word from Mr..
Bryan himself on the subject of his
acceptance or declination of an offer
of the post of secretary of state, but
they say that they do not need d.
rect word to make them certain that
he will succeed Philander Chase Knox.
Most of the Democratic leaders have
seen Mr.. Wilson, and is it not posi-
bic that he has been talking to them
more freely than he has to the repre-
sentatives of the press gathered at
New Jerseys capital? The Demo
Gratis have heard from somewhere that
Mr.. Bryan is going into the cabinet.
May Prefer to Remain Free.
William Jennings Bryan, however, is
a law unto himself in most matters,
and he may upset all the calculations
of the other party leaders and prefer
to remain a free lance in politics and
in the newspaper field. Washington
Democratic politicians who have
claims as close students of conditions
say that Mr. Bryan simply is waiting
before saying his final word on the
subject to learn definitely whether
| Mr.. Wilson intends as president to
press the fight for such legislation as
Mr.. Bryan has urged within the last
few years. The Nebraskan, the close
| observers say also wants to find out
if Mr. Wilson is willing to go to the
limit in his fighting and not to yield
/ to the conservative Democrats plea
/ for compromise.
II Mr.. Bryan finally shall say no
to Mr. Wilson's offer of a cabinet
| place, the reason for his declination
will be that he wishes to be foot
| loose to criticise."
In all that has been done by the
! Democrats in Washington to make
! harmony in congress possible when
I the extra session convenes, there has
/ been shown consideration for the feel
! ings of the conservative Democratic
! senators who are to be shorn Of some
| of their power and are to be deprived
of some of their important committee
| seats The conservative ones, it is
said, have promised to follow course
| of action which seemingly the major
ity of the Democrats Of the country
have approved. The progressive Dem
| ocrats in congress, however, believe
that Mr. Wilson has made up his mind
to go to the fighting limit of the pro-
| gressive field, and they fear that this
may ALLEVIATE the affections of the con-
servatives and give them an excuse
for forgetting their promises.
+ Wilson Has Aggressive Plans.
1t is apparent from what the
Democratic leaders say on their
return from pilgrimages to Tren'
ton, and also because of the tone
of the speeches of the president-elect
that Mr. Wilson when he gets into
office wants to strike some blows. The
idea of the Democrats is that Mr.
Wilson will be as strenuous in his in
sistence on proper legislation as he
sees it as was Theodore Roosevelt
and that in fighting temperament the
two men are not so far apart as
seems to be the general belief.
In his speech in Staunton Mr. Viii
son said that he had his war paint
On" 1t is not necessary, perhaps, te
put on the trappings of war in order
to attack the tariff schedules. hu
there are other matters which viii
come before congress which will 81
divide the sentiment of the members
of the Democratic party, especial!
in the senate, that Mr.. Wilson will
need all the weapons which his high
office will give him to enable him tc
overcome the opposition, unless o
course in advance there is a genera
laying down OF arms in the presence
Of the presidents determination Il
carry on the war
Will Try to Put Some in Jail.
All through the last national cam
paign, and the state campaigns int
which national matters frequently en-
tered. the complaint of the Demo
cratic speakers was that no trust mag
mates who had worked evil to thu
people and had produced condition.
which bulwarked their wrong dom.
had been sent to prison. They talked
about fines easily paid by the corpora
don heads and about dissolution
which did nothing but increase thu
Penny Sells Tor sff2.5o.
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