New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-05
Politicians Eager to Know
Speakers Plans as TO
the Presidency.
THINK WILSON WOULD
WELCOME INTIMATION
Letter to New Jersey Democrats
Taken TO Show This-Hearst
Factor i'm Decision.

democratic nomination Tor President
! IN 1916? This is one Of the questions
that are uppermost in the minds OF "a
| good many Democrats here, and ono
/ that is eagerly discussed in hotel
| Hobbies and other gathering places for
politicians.
The interest in Speaker Clark's plans
would not be so great perhaps If il had
not been for the diplomatic letter JO-
seph p. Tumulty, secretary to the Pres
/ ident. cent to Edward +. Grosscup.
/ chairman Of the New Jersey Demo.
cratic State Committee. This letter,
/ which had the approval Of the Prcsi-
dent, suggested TO the New Jersey Dem
ocrats that il would be wise for them
/ 20 Sidetrack their Endorsement OF Pres
/ ldent Wilson for 4 second term until
/ other Democrats, not so friendly with
/ the resident. indicated their attitude.
There isn't the least doubt that the
| President can get the Endorsement Of
/ his home state for anything and every
/ thing he wants \ New Jersey indorse-
ment would carry not nearly so much
weight as that of, say, Missouri 1t
| requires only an ordinary reading OF
/ Mr.. Tumulty's letter TO Mr.. Grosscup to
discover a gentle hint to those who
/ have been lukewsrm in their feelings
| toward the President that an indorse-
ment from them would not alone be
/ opportune, but would be pleasing az
well TO the Executive Office.
/ Mr.. Tumulty's letter, however, has
started the 1916 Presidential ball roll
| ing. The time Is not far distant when
candidates and platforms will be in the
| limelight, since the national conven-
lions are only year from this coming
June.
Bryan Not a Candidate.
/ Hence the interest in the plans of
Mr.. Clark and in the question as to
whether the single term plank which
/ Mr. Bryan injected into the Democratic
/ platform will return to plague the Sec
rotary of State. Not that he will be a
candidate for the Presidential nom
nation himself, because comparatively
few Democrats take his aspirations in
that direction seriously just now. They
point out that he is a part an impor-
tant part-of President Wilson's adj
ministration, and he has no alternative
but TO support the President should
/ the latter signify his willingness 10 ac-
cept a denomination.
There are some Democrats around
here whose facetious reply 70 the query
as to whether Mr.. Clark would be a
/ candidate has been, ASK Hearst" Mr..
/ Hearst and DIR. Clark are inseparablo
politically and socially, and It seems
only natural that the editor should
know the Speakers plans, or, NJ least,
( be able to make a pretty good guess a.
I to what they are. or course, IL Is true
| that if Hearst could put Speaker Clark
/ in the White House in place of Mr..
/ Wilson he would DO so with alacrlty.
/ He has not made the slightest effort to
| conceal his antagonism toward the
/ President.
1t is only fair 70 the President to say
/ that this iii feeling exists on lii.
Hesrst's side only. Close friends of
/ the President cay he has only the
/ kindliest of feelings toward the editor.
! It is true that the President has never
sought the counsel of Nr. Hearst on
big public questions. He has never In
vited Mr.. Hearst to come TO the White
House for heart-to-heart talk on men
and affairs. This fact furnishes the
key to Mr. Hearst's antagonism.
His Crouch Persists.
A short chat with Speaker Clark will
quickly convince one that he hasn't
cot over the crouch he cultivated after
the Baltimore convention finished its
work. He still believes that he should
now be in the White House, and takes
no particular pains to hide this belief.
he still believes he Is the most pOpu-
lar Democrat in this country and could
win the Presidency il he set out after
II.
An interesting sidelight on Mr.
Clarks opinion Of himself is disclosed
in a story some Of his friends tell re-
zarding his fight against the tolls re-
peal bill. it is 20 be remembered that
Mr.. Clark made his supreme effort TO
defeat the bill in a speech few hours
before the bill was passed.
81 waited too long 20 make my
speech" the Speaker is said to have
told his confidants. III I had got that
speech off twenty-four hours before
did ! should have defeated the bill"
whether or not Mr.. Clark intends 20
seek the Democratic Presidential nOmi-
nation IN 1916, he is certainly doing
everything possible TO make himself
popular with citizens of all beliefs IN
this part of the country. Seldom IN
the last year has he refused request
for speech. whether 1t came from a
Young Mems Christian Association
gathering, school commencement or a
political meeting, and he has not al
ways been particular about receiving
the customary fee.
Sneaker Clark, it is thought, is anx-
ious and willing to become the Demo
cratic candidate for President IN 1916
His chief political mentor and hacker,
William r. Hearst, shares this eager
ness. There are a good many disap-
pointed office seekers who sympathize
with the Speakers ambitions. The
question, however, is, Dare he make the
fpht? Could he defeat President VII
son, who without doubt will be a can
didate for denomination, despite the
single-term plank in the Democratic