Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-11-24
plutocratic pres

/ tIiIhhS tfiul Id seth "Aii hiiO othSA
sources of differences with his former
chief and that the single-term pledge
! Of the Baltimore platform will soon be
hurled at the Presidents head.
Thus far the fighting is all on the
side of Bryan. From the White House
has come an inspired statement that
Wilson will not reply to the Bryan on
slaught and that whatever he has to
say on the subject of national defense
will be "impersonal." Yet in the Man
haitian Club speech Mr.. Wilson said:
If men differ with me in this vital
clear how far and in what they are in
terested in making the permanent in
! terests of the country safe against dis
turbance." His purpose not to an
swer Bryan hardly runs upon all
tours with these grave words-but
there are those who recall that his
phrases in the German notes did not
correspond with his actions. In other
words. the suspicion here is that the
President hopes that his duel with
BRYAN may be one of words only.
In the controversy which is now
sure TO come. Bryan will certainly not
lack for words. which he can handle as
we'll as Mr.. Wilson can Nor vii, he
He will attempt. lrst Of all, to hold to
the cause of pacitisn as many mem
bers of Congress as he may be able to
influence.
In some quarters there is DISPOSE
ton 10 regard the Bryan influence as
negligible. Whether this opinion is
real or feisned, it is difficult to say.
But it must be remembered that Bryan
will not fight alone in this matter.
There is a considerable group Of
Democratic congressman, of whom
the Spokesman is Mr.. Bailey Of Penn
sylvana. who are not in favor of in
creased armament. These men take
their cue from the Presidents mes
sage of year ago. wherein. they de-
clare. is to be found the real Wilson.
the Wilson whom they will follow.
This group is large enough to destroy
Democratic party solidarity on the de-
Tense programme and to wipe out all
! nope of carrying the Presidents plan
through by Democratic votes alone.
However. a defense programme will
VIII furnish the Votes to put it
through. When this is accomplished
and Bryan has suffered reverse,
what will his policy be? This is a
problem which the friends of the ad-
ministration approach with con-
sternation. The defense question will
he taken up early in Congress and it
will be disposed Of some time before
the nominating conventions assemble.
There will be plenty of time for Bryan
to organize an opposition to Wilson's
denomination if he desires to do so.
Democrats whose wish is father TO the
thought. say he will not go SO far;
and, fer publication at least. they
scout the notion that Bryan will not
support Wilson at the polls. They
argue that Bryan supported Parker in
NJ, /,
reason for him 70 support Wilson next
year
swer TO say that if Bryan supports
Wilson in 1916 as be supported Parker
in 1901. no one would insure Wilson'S
chances at thousand per cent pre-
MUM.
In 1904 Bryan gave Parker a lip
service only lie made some speech
es for the ticket but he could not
carry his friends to polls to vote for
Parker. and in Kansas alone, that
year there We're $4,000 men who had
voted for Bryan i'll 1909 but who were
too busy on election day to go TO the
polls for Parker. In Nebraska there
were $4,000 Democratic stay-at homes
in 1904; IN Indiana. $4,000 in Iowa,
$4,000; in Illinois. 80 010: and the list
might be extended to all the states.
so Bryan and his friends will have
the last blow. however the prelimi-
nary bouts in Congress and in the ma
'ional convention may result. That
the Bryan men in the Middle West
where the defense programme is no,
setting the prairies afire. to say the
least-are meditating repetition of
1904, is becoming evident. both from,
bits of information that are dr;bbline
in and from letters which they are
writing to their local newspapers. The