The Prescott daily news., 1913-01-24
PARTY LEADERS BELIEVE HE WLL BE SECRETARY
 OF STATE.
MAY HAVE A PRIVATE "TlP"
If Nebraskan Does Accept the Port folio, They Say, 1t Means Wilson Will Go to Limit in Fighting for Progressive Measures.
By GEORGE CLINTON.

liam Jennings Bryan Will De 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 partys council cham bers.
 It has been said in dispatches prior to this that MT. Wilson of necessity must ask MT. 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. It ne' has been said prior to this with any definiteness that the Democratic lead CTS really believed that MT. Bryan would accept the first portfolio but now the current of Democratic opin- ion sets in sbeongly toward the con- vietion that he will be in the cabinet.
 The Democratic leaders admit that they have no definite word from MT. 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 di- rect word to make them certain that he will succeed Philander Chase Knox Most of the Democratic leaders have seen MT Wilson, and is it not possi- ble 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- crats have heard from somewhere that Mir. Bryan is going into the cabinet
 Wilson and Bryan of One Mind.
 Day by day the Democrats in con- gress are becoming more and more convinced that Mir. Wilson intends to fight for the enactment of what he thinks is progressive legislation, and what a good many of the Democrats call radical legislation. The Demo- crats here have read and reread the Staunton speech of MT Wilson. They say that it is Bryan speech" and that it shows conclusively that upon all except one, or possibly two, ques- tions of present national moment, Mir Wilson and Mir. Bryan are Of one mind Democratic memory goes X to the speech which the president elect made at the harmony dinner on Jackson day one year ago in the Raleigh hotel in this city. Then MT Wilson turned to Mir. Bryan who sat next him, and gave the Nebraskan praise for the consistency and courage with which he had clung to his ideals and with which he had forced the fighting for progression. MT Wilson on that occa- sion said that the Democratic party owed its ability to go vigorously into the coming fight to the compelling work which Mir. Bryan had done.
 Mir. Bryan has been so completely self-contained on the subject of talk ing or leaving the offer of a cabinet place that his silence is taken by the Democrats as meaning consent They say that if he were not going to ac- cept the offer of the secretaryship of state he would have found some indi- rect means of letting the fact be known. Of course MT Bryan could not decline what had not been offered him. but the Democrats all believe that he has been offered the place now held by Mir Knox, and that he has taken the offer under adyisement with a pretty clearly outlined determina- tion to say yes at the proper time
 May Prefer to Remain Free.
 William Jennings Bryan, however, is law unto himself in most matters, and he may upset all the calculations of the other party leaders and prefer to remain free lance in politics and in the newspaper field. Washington | Democratic politicians who have claims as close students of conditions say that Mir. Bryan simply is waiting before saying his final word on the subject to learn definitely whether MT. Wilson intends as president to ! press the fight for such legislation as MT Bryan has urged within the last few years. The Nebraskan, the close observers say. also wants to find out if MT. Wilson is willing to go to the limit in his fighting and not to yield to the conservative Democrats plea for compromise.
 If MT. Bryan finally shall say no to Mir Wilson's offer of 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 the extra session convenes, there has been shown cOnside eratinn for tha fool