The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-10-13

PREslDENT1Ak CAMPAIGNS
The McK;alsy-Bryan Race q lsod

The cKinlsy- b
i
washinston, b. C., Oct. 12.-LoAgI
before the national conventions
met In the summer II 1900 every
body knew that the Republicans
would renominate President Nc
Kinley, and that the Democrats
would again follow the leadership
81 Mr.. Bryan. McKinley's renom-
nation was made certain because
Of the great prosperity, which
blessed the country, because OF the
successful issue Of the war with
Spain, and because Of the peffec-
ton Of the organisation Of the RE-
publican party under Mr.. Hanna
and the coterie OF Republican SEN
ators that stood With the admins
tratiop. Bryan's denomination was
made certain by his popularity with
the rank ana file Of his party, not
,withstanding the bitter and intense
opposition Of the gold" Democrats.
The denomination of Bryan In
1900 is the only instance OF the re-
nomination of an unsuccessful can
didate for. president in the cam
paign next after his defeat. Jack
SON was a candidate in 1928 after
his defeat in 1924, but as he had the
plurality of both popular and cleo
toral votes in the first race, and as
there we're no party nominations
then, his case is not q precedent.
Henry Clay was three times can
didate for president, but only 60hce
was he the recognized nominee Of q
party and that was in the cam
paign after the one in which he
was defeated for the Wing nomina-
ton by General Harrison. Grover
Cleveland was nominated in 1892
after his defeat in 1883, hut as he
had served one term in the White
house he could not be considered
a wholly unsuccessful candidate.
No man who has met defeat at
every turn of his career in nation
al politics has been able long to re-
tain the leadership Of one Of the
two great parties with the single
exception Of Mr.. Bryan.
New Factors in Politics.
Between the presidential campaign
of 1896 and 1900 things had hap
pened which were to change the
whole course Of American national
life.
War was declared on Spain, and
in less than four months it was
over. The American victory was
complete and the United States had
suddenly become world power
in the sense that the phrase is used
in European chancellories.
j As the result of the war the Unit.
ed States found itself in the pos.
session of several things it had
4 never had before. There we're the
colonies-the Philippines, Porte
Rico and Guam. There was the
protectorate-Cuba. There was
the church lands question. There
was the extra-territorial tariff
problem and the question, doe:
the constitution follow the fiag?'
In addition to these new things, the
nation also had a new crop of wal
heroes. Chief among these was
Theodore Roosevelt. Others were
Admirals Dewey, Schley, Sampson
and Lieutenant Hobson. Mr.. Bryan
had endeavored to become a wal
hero, too, but the regiment which
he commanded was not permitted
to get further away than Tampa.
\ How Dewey Queefed Himself.
Admiral Dewey was the grea
naval hero. Naturally. he was dis
cussed as a candidate for president
He made the fatal mistake of tax
, ing the first mention" as seriousl.
: as if it had been a call from tn
notification committee of nationa
convention. He accepted a nomi
= nation in advance of its being OF
fered, and was promptly laughe
!, into oblivion. Sampson and Schle
!, were involved in a controversy tina
removed both of them from tn
hero class. General Joe Wheele
: had been rebel general and wa
, out Of the question politically. Gen
eral. Nelson "A. Miles and Colone
William J. Bryan did not get to tn
front.
Thus it happened that when tw
years had gone by and the countr
faced another quadrcnnial struggl
for the presidency, it found that tn
war with Spain had produced bu
one genuine war hero who ha
] lasted That was Colonel Theodor
Roosevelt. He hadn't been high i
It command in the army, but he ha
organized a picturesque regimen
and had done many picturesqu
7. things. He had actually partic
pated in q battle and had prove
d his eagerness to fight. d.
O. The Republicans Of New "
Is state had taken him up and ha
" elected him governor, not SO muc
e because they wanted him, but b,
It cause he was the only man WI
could win. AS has happened sine
= the Republican bosses found that
. governor so selected might be eI
a tirely too self-willed to rule Il
~ roost at Albany to suit the organi
!, alton. In those days the will