Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-07
Mr.. BRYAN ENERGIES
INTO THE LlMELlGHT
Record and Government
Ownership Platform

Ownership Platform
TT BEGINS to look as if the next Demo-
cratic national convention would be
forced to consider the availability of Mr..
Bryan for the presidency.
The Nebraska orator has emerged from
the obscurity that has enshrouded him
since his retirement from the cabinet and
will be the first speaker at the Jackson
Day dinner of the Democratic national
committee in Washington tomorrow
night. That is, he will be the first to
speak after President Wilson's ''impor-
tant statement" has been read.
That he is a receptive candidate goes
without saying. He was receptive in 1912
and did not step aside until he discovered
that there was no chance for him. Then
he threw his influence to Mr.. Wilson and
brought about his nomination, with the
result that Champ Clark who had the
votes of majority of the delegates on
several ballots, was not on speaking
terms with him for long time.
Before the convention Mr.. Bryan, that
year, had been setting himself up as a
censor of candidates. He found objections
to virtually every man mentioned. The
cynics said that the only man he thought
fit for the place was William Jennings
Bryan, and his conduct gave excuse for
this view. He is now said to be pursuing
the same course in private conversations,
and is knocking all the aspirants who
have come into the open. He has not yet
begun to give out interviews on the sub
ject, but they are likely to come in the
no f,1+,,r.a onJ tho Of fhoro will
be to concentrate attention on his own
availability.
That he has certain elements of avail
ability is evident to I'll who have not for
gotten his record. Indeed, he can point
with pride to the adoption of the things
which he has advocated End to the work
ing out of the theories for which he
fought.
When he is told that the silver dollar
is worth somewhat more than the gold
dollar he grins with delight, ignoring the
economic conditions that have brought
about the change, and allowing the public
to infer that free coinage at the ratio of
sixteen to one would not have been so bad
after all. He will not admit that he was
advocating fifty-cent dollar in 1886 to
pay hundred cents worth of debts, even
if the hope for this delightful outcome
was what made the debtors of 1896 eager
for his election.
He has been a consistent advocate of
woman suffrage, and Congress has passed
the necessary constitutional amendment,
which is now awaiting ratification by the
states.
He has been prohibitionist for years,
and in 1916 he prophesied that the Demo-
cratic party would be dry party in 1920
Events have moved faster than he antici-
pated and the whole country will be per-
manently dry in less than two weeks un-
less the improbable happens and the
Supreme Court rules that the constitu-
tional amendment is unworkable.
But it may be said that suffrage and
prohibition are dead issues. Yet Mr..
Bryan can say that he was for them when
it was unpopular to be in their favor.
There remains government ownership
of railroads, for which Mr.. Bryan has
been an open advocate ever since his
Madison Square Garden speech made on
his return from tour around the world.
Other leaders of his party are afraid of
this issue. Mr.. Wilson has ordered the
return of the railroads to their owners
on March 1, in spite of the fact that Mr..
McAdoo when in charge of them, urged
that the government retain control for
five years in order that there might be
fair test of the ability of the government
to manage them.
Mr.. Bryan is aware that the labor
unions favor government ownership and
that the men employed on the railroads
whose wages were increased by Mr.. Nc
Adoo beyond their hopes would like the
politicians to continue to have control of
the wage scale. There are votes in this
issue and Mr.. Bryan knows it, votes from
the railroad workers and votes from the
people who are hostile to all corporations
and would like to see them despoiled. Mr..
Bryan has large following among the
haters of corporate wealth.
So as a longtime friend of equal suf-
frage and prohibition, now virtually ac
cepted by the nation, and as the ardent
advocate of government ownership, Mr..
Bryan can point with confidence to his
availability as presidential candidate by
a party which is seeking for a man and
an issue different from Mr.. Wilson and
the peace treaty.
The uncertain element in the situation
today is the attitude of the President
himself. At present it looks as if there
were to be contest between Mr.. Wilson
and Mr.. Bryan for the control of the
party. Mr.. Wilson has been in office seven
years and he has made enemies in his
party who would like to see his power
curtailed. Mr.. Bryan has been out of
office for five years, but he has not been
idle. And he has not been playing Mr..
Wilson's game.
The important statement" from the
White House that is to be read to the