The Glasgow courier., 1916-02-04

Speaker Clark's part in the fight
will not be active. and it is understood
that ii does not INCLUDE any lnterfef-
ence with the presidents plans for
legislation this winter, to which the
speaker is largely committed. When
he gathering Of forces for the con-
,enuon begins, however, the speak
er's influence will be felt, and it will
,e against the president. His friends
are still powerful and many of his
close advisers believe that the forces
which came so near nominating him
in 1912 can do so with the aid OF the
man who then blocked them.
The causes of the break between
the president and his former premier
are all known, except one, that is
personal, and results from the fact
that neither Mr.. Bryan nor his wife
believe in second marriages. This,
however, is of great weight in the
quarrel, for the presidents action
has destroyed the confidence which
the Commoner had felt in Mr.. Will
sons sincerity and high motives, how
ever they differed on practical ques-
tions. This feeling of distrust, when
coupled with entire disapproval Of the
presidents recent public policies, is
the thing that makes Bryan's friends
certain that there can never be re-
concilliation, even in form.
Friends of the administration have
been charging that the discontinue
which has overtaken the president
policies in congress is due to the ac-
tive opposition of Mr.. Bryan. While
it is yet too early to venture predic-
ton as to whether the president will
have power enough to force through
the policies he has proclaimed, it al.
ready is apparent that he will not
have solid party behind him on an!
one of them, and that so far they are
not making any appreciable progress
1t is not doubted that some measure
of preparedness will be enacted, o.
that the tariff fence will hold tight
but beyond this no one will venture
to predict any success for any of thu
administration policies, except th'
relatively unimportant Philippine!
bill.
Bryan men deny that they or theil
leaders are in any way to blame fo1
this state. They say that in accord
ance with the promises Bryan mad'
to Wilson when he left the cabine
he has not worked actively in oppo
sition to the White House. The onl.
trouble, according to the Bryan men
is that he has not helped.
During the previous sessions of tn
Wilson administration it was Bryal
far more than any one else who drov
through congress the measures fo
which the administration has bee
taking the credit. He held togethe
his own followers and swung them
often much against their own wishes
into line for the measures which tn
president desired. Bryan's real wor
was not in the state department, bu
as Legislative general. The presen
situation, his friends declare, merel
measures the extent to which he ha
been responsible for such success i
congress as Mr.. Wilson has won. Wi
sons own powers of leadership, the
say, are now about to have their frs
real test, and they predict that tn
result will not help the president whe
the campaign opens.
The question that is most seriousl
worrying the administration leader
is just how far Mr.. Bryan will carr
his fight. They have expected, eve
! since the first signs of the break az
peared, that he would do all that h
has so far done, and are not surprise
, at the vigor of his opposition, thoug
disappointed to find how powerful
is. 1t is the evidence that BRYAN
preparing for a real fight at the cor