The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1920-01-10
BRYAn'S DEFIANCE
AIDS WILSON
Strengthens Presidents Grip on
Democratic Party.
FER TO FOLLOW COMMONER
Former Secretary OF State Meets With
Frosty Reception at jefferson Day
Dinner in Washington.


Dinner in Washington.
Washington, Jan 1O.-The fate OF
the treaty is in President Wilson's
hands.
The control of the Democratic party
is utterly in his hands. To be regular
you must be n Wilson Democrat. Mr..
Wilson viii pick The Democratic nomi-
nee. He will write the platform.
That is the effect of William J.
Bryan'S coming into the open at the
Jackson Day dinner and making a bid
for the leadership. The organization
is pro-Wilson almost to a man. The
diners were almost unanimously for
| the president They gave The peerless
leader the frostiest reception of his
whole political life.
The effect is that to be regular a
Democrat must do what Mr.. Wilson
says. He must wear the Wilson
stamp. If Mr. Wilson wants to take
! the treaty into the neXt campaign all
| Democrats who want to be regular
must favor taking it into the next
! campaign
The only thing that will change this
situation will be Mr.. Bryan's success
full challenging of Mr. Wilson's leader
ship among the people. Until he goes
! out and proves on the stump that he
has the party and not Mr.. Wilson,,
| few of the regulars will take a chance
upon following his leadership.
The prospects for a treaty compro-
mise through the Independent action
of the Democratic senator's have dis
| appeared. Compromise is still pos
sible, but the chances are that the
| league of nations viii so over into the
next campaign.
President Wilson's letter, read at
the Jackson Day dinner, said that if
there is any doubt as to public senti-
ment On the treaty the clear way out
is to submit the matter 10 the voters
at the next election in a solemn ref
erendum." Mr.. Bryan, in challenging
this proposal, declared that the party
cannot carry the issue to the people,
but that such compromise as may be
possible should be accepted.
The first reaction in Democratic
ranks to the Bryan challenge to the
president has been one Of anger. The
Nebraskans want to fight and deny the
Commoner a seat in the convention.
A Bryan keynote" meeting had
been arranged in Nebraska by Mr..
Prvop,c frioDJS Vvbory 1,o5 ,1,ofJo ~
non-factional. They had put on the
| committee of arrangements the mill
tant national committeeman from the
state, Arthur Mullen Mr.. Mullen will
telegraph refusing to serve, on the
| ground that he will not take part in
the meeting because Mr.. Bryan has
broken with the president.
This will raise the issue sharply
and Immediately The Nebraska or.
ganization may refuse the Commoner
j a seat in the convention. This is its
present intention. There is little doubt
that it can do so. And Senator Hitch
cocks statement a few days ago that
he had no objection to Mr.. Bryan's
sitting in the convention from Nebras,
ka is without significance.
Mr.. Hitchcock did not personally OF
in his newspaper oppose Mr.. Bryan
four years ago, but Mr.. Mullen's or.
ganization did the job so thoroughly
that Mr.. Bryan had to beg for the
privilege to descend from the press
gallery and address the st. Louis con
| yention from the floor.
This is the immediate and the local
reaction to the Bryan effort to regain
leadership in his party. The policy
of the party at large is likely to be
more moderate. Beneath the surface
a. the Democratic banquet there was
much hatred Of Bryan, but no fear
The men who will pick the delegates
and control the convention were all al
the dinner.
As body they were as hostile tt
Bryan as the convention which nomi
mated Parker in 1908. They rejec
his leadership. They app1auded eager
ly the unexpected speech of Cover
nor Conwell, of West Virginia, which
was direct slap at Organism.
But the diners did not fear Mr.
Bryan. They were confident of thu
fontrOl of the organization.
|