The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-01-26
LOOKING FORWARD

With the beginning of President
Wilson's second term and his inaug-
uration still month off, there is al
ready talk of the possible Democratic
nominee for President in 1920, and
two popular leaders have tentatively
given approval to the use of their
names in that connection. One of
these is Mr.. Bryan, who has thrice
been honored with the nomination, but
on whom defeat had no effect as a
dominating party influence, and the
other Speaker Champ Clark, who re-
ceived the votes Of majority Of the
delegates at the Baltimore Convention
in 1912, but failed to- attain to the
two-thirds limit required by long
standing rule of National Democratic
Conventions.
1t was being rumored that Mr..
Clark had recently in quiet way sig
nifed to Missouri friend his inten-
ton of again aspiring to the presi-
dency in 1920, and the question as to
its correctness was put to him by
newspaper men at his hotel in Wash
ington last Friday night. His reply
was Enthusiastically straight-for-
ward and blunt. 81 will run if the
sign is right" he replied. "That is
all ! have to say now. There is no
need to ask me any more questions.
won't say another word; Pm going
to bed" And to bed he went.
The public had, hardly time to take
its breath or say what it thought of
the announcement, when the country
was flooded with circular letter from
Lincoln, Nebraska, bearing the sig
nature of Charles M. Bryan, brother
of the great Nebraskan, saying that
"Mr. Bryan is calling upon the better
element of the country to organize
by precincts, counties, States and ma
tionally to reorganize the Democratic
party and have the Democratic party
lead this grand fight for the emanci-
patton of the people and politics from
the communicating influence of the
American saloon. =. Mr.. Bry-
an desires to know whether he may
count upon your influence and assis-
lance in your vicinity to enlist in the
greatest contest he has ever under
taken"
This and more, and while the letter
does not say that he will seek the
presidential nomination on this new
reform movement of his to commit
the Democratic party to alcoholic pro-
hibition, it is being construed in that
light. His desire to know whether
those who are called upon to enlist
with him in the greatest contest he
has ever undertaken" gives color to
such a construction. His moral cour-
age no less than his ability to take
the lead in whatever his convictions
approve, whether success or defeat
awaits his efforts, at once suggests
that if the party is won over to his
purpose on the liquor question, he
would be its logical candidate for
President. ss
While they are only two of a num-
Der of able men who are deferred to
in shaping the policies of the Demo-
cratic party, Speaker Clark and Mr..
Bryan clearly occupy a more spectac-
ular place in the public mind than
any of the others, because of their ag
gressive and progressive assertive-
ness. If these two leaders should be
pitted against each other for the
Democratic nomination for President
in 1920, because of things that occur
red at the Baltimore Convention in
1912, the contest would be bitter and
relentless. Mr.. Clark might not con-
slider that "the sign is right" for him
TO run if matters shape themselves up
in that direction, but we have never
heard of him running away from
fight. II Mr.. Bryan should succeed in
committing the party to his views in
the rsform in which he is now en-
gaged, and he should be nominated on
a platform with national prohibition
as the dominant issue, the chances
are that fourth defeat for the
presidency would overtake him, un-
less both the great political parties
make an equally strong appeal to the
prohibition vote.
-----------------------------~-
THAT ARMY OF CLERKS