The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-24
Poll of Senate ShoWs
 Leadership Race Close
Underwood Friends Poll 21, Hitchcock 17, With Nine Democrats Non-Committal-B Causes
 Stir in Presidential Talk
By HUGH w. ROBERTS

convention he disregarded the instructions of his state, and urged that certain other delegates commissioned by other soyer- eien states. be bodily cast out of the Clark, who had received a majority vote, and made possible, first, and then certain, the nomination of Woodrow Wilson.
 To the members of the party in Wash ington who did not attend the Polk ain- ner, the attitude of Bryan is ominous ot peril to democratic hopes. 1t is admitted that the outlook Is not propitious, that the democrats, if they win. must have an ideal candidate on an ideal platform, and must move heaven and earth in gen eral, soul-stirring commotion. The fear is that Mir Bryan's injection ofhis per- sonalitv will so complicate the situation, if not divide the party, that success VIII be impossible. The Bryan attitude IS regarded as a rule or ruin attitude lie gives the appearance of one who. ire spective of the outcome, will name the candidate, unless the delegates, rrlor to his action name Bryan.
 The Jackson Day dinner, the Bryan fol- lowing alleges, will see many poonls shattered At the dinner, to be served under the auspices of the national com mittee in Washington January 8, all the leading democrats of the unlted StA.es will be seated at a cost of S6 per head. Those present will number Soo. All the more prominent, and especially those who are candidates, are mentioned as rahdl- dates, or who are in position to De can didates. will be given opportunity 10 speak In their speeches they will lndlcate what in their opinion should constitute the platform of the party. It Will De night to make and break men in poflt- ical sense.
 President Wilson. despite his constant .-.-. xrflI nt ha aN1p to aItenu the dinner By comhon cohsent or every body save MT. Bryan, it had been tenta- lively agred that he should sound tne s'keynote' In his absence the ofilcials of inc party will probably name anoerer' possibly w. G. McAdoo, to sound .lle 'keynote" Nevertheless, MT. Bryan. ac- cording to the statements of his follow- ing ia Washington, will do the soundlhs.
 The advance notices of the speech which the Nebraskan will make indlsa,e that he will not call men by name, ous that he will say that the candidate or the marty must be this or that, and must df, SD and so. and must not be this or do that. Tn this wise he will make 50 plain. it is said regarding whom ,, ne speaks, that the star of tnis man mra rapidly scale the horizon, while the nope of many others will wither like rose on which. the gales have. breathed-
 c,hamp Clark McAdoo, Palmer, Unuer wood-neither can stand the test that Bryan will establish. They must go. Should Senator Hitchcock publicly declape his error in having opposed proahpition and make good his declaration py tne consumption of certain specihea ealioLS aola oe s,ra1,e iuice he may re-enter the foid' Otherwise. MT. Bryan will be forced to nominate Joseph W. Folk, some months ago defeated in senatorial race in MS, souri, or Josephus Daniels, who has tolu the Hawaiian natives that his candidacy was in the hands of the people.