The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-06-26


900 votes In the convention favorable
% A wet plank. Observers outside Hd-
wardss headquarters declare this 10 nom
sense. Edwards's headquarters then
pitches into Bryan with remark thAt
the Democratic party " tired OF letting
Bryan destroy II.
Opposed 10 this View is that Of GOV
Cox, as outlined by close friend. who
says the Governor thinks II unnecessary
TO adopt a platform supporting the pro-
hibltlon amendment any more than u
would bo proper to Insert plank up,
holding the Ten Commandments anu
that he is equally opposed 10 wot
plank on tho ground that the persons.
view OF the nominee would DO suiiioish'
guaranty OF his future efforts,
But William ]. Bryan Is on the scene
and with a bag full OF reasons why the
Democrats should 80 on record as being
bone dry. Nevertheless the platform ap-
Solutely will bo silent on the liquor
question. -.
The supine attitude Of the mass OF
deleEates Is further indicated by their
inability TO stand against the plain IN
tent OF the President and his group 10
drive through the convention an out
and out Endorsement OF the treaty ana
League of Nations as he brought the
document back from Paris, Article ~
and all. They are perfectly willing 10
net the Administration humiliate SEN
ator Reed OF Missouri and drive MIN
out OF the party
They stand by with little to say while
all the Northern Democratic Senator's
many of whom are candidates this fall'
are left high and dry. They don't like the
presidents stubbornness and dictatioh'
but they can't find the pluck to fisht
against the master. Senator Glass has
written at the Presidents dictatlon
treaty plank which abates not mite OF
the Presidents incorporating stand,
and unless Bryan can put heart INTO
the hundreds OF delegates who believe
that the plank means ruin the pro-
gramme will go through.
This Is written before Bryan gets
I'm action. When the Nebraskan. great
fighter that he 10, tears into the Situa-
ton tomorrow morning there may be
a different story to tell, but 1t Is hard
to see now how he can accomplish
much The cards seem to he stacked.
The convention is made up OF selected
men very largely. At the most 1t doesn't
seem as IL Bryan could command more
than 800 delegates in a treaty fight
The rest OF them feed from the Admin
iBtration trough and the power OF pa
tronage and OF that gratitude which is
a lively sense Of favors to come Is very
potent In this crowd,
; As field marshal Of the drys and the
emily visible rallying point for Demo-
Gratis who believe that it is time to end
wisconsin, Bryan has great oppor-
ttinlty, one of the greatest Of his fight
Ing career. But he has poor stuff to
work with. There seems to be no fight
ing spirit present II Is ten TO one that
whatever the President directly asks
he will get handed with low bows on the
part OF the convention.
Gov. Smith OF New York sized up the
situation in a characteristically blunt
way to-day when he said:
"I have been here twenty-four hours;
that is all needed to convince me that
the President can dictate the platform
and candidate"
That Is the size OF 1t. II the Presl-
dent says there shall be no plank on
The liquor question there will be none
II he says there must be unqualified In
dorsement of his position on treaty and
league, there will be unqualified in
dorsement If he says that Ireland will
have to get along without the Demo-
cratic party threatening to make war
against England. Ireland will have to
swallow II. II he says he will take the
nomination or that It must go TO Homer
Cummings. Ambassador Davis or even
the new favorite, Balnbridge Colby, the
convention will say yes, sir. All right.
sir. Is there anything more to-day, sir?'
The corridor talk of revolts against
Wilson authority mean nothing State
ments that the convention never would
stand for Wilson as a candidate again
are not worth printing There Is not
single Democrat of consequence at pres
ent In any sort of favor with the Ad-
rninistration who dares say any such
thing for publication. That's the answer.
No human being could untangle the
knot Of candidates without revelation
from on high or a tip over the tele-
phone wire which carries the Presidents
orders to Cummings hour by hour.
Neither Cox nor Palmer Is bit more
advanced in his candidacy than he
was Il month ago. Both are in po-
Gition not unlike that which nullified the
chances Of Lowden and Wood at
Chicago The belief here is that eventu-
ally they will kill each other, perhaps
with help from the great Great. Ed
wards's slim chances are absolutely
emacipated