Evening star., 1920-04-06
mr.. BRYAN STARTS
PRESIDENCY BOOM
FOR Mr.. MEREDITH
Supporting New Secretary OF
Agriculture; Latter Work.
ing for McAdoo.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

William Jennings Bryan has look
ed over the list of men available
for the democratic nomination for
the presidency and come to the con-
clusion that Edward T. Meredith. Sec
Des Moines Iowa, is best equipped
best qualified and best suited to the
demands of the rank and file of the
party for progressive candidate.
Mr.. Bryan's views have been dis
closed to leading democrats with
whom he has recently been in in
formal conference here. Curiously
enough, Mr.. Meredith himself is not
an aspirant for the nomination. but
is an avowed supporter of William G.
McAdoo. for whom he is trying to
get the Iowa delegation.
The commoner thinks the Wilson
load hangs too heavy around the neck
of Mr.. McAdoo. and while he is per-
sonally fond of the former Secretary
of the Treasury and has high re-
gard for his ability, he thinks the
son-in-law argument would be a diff
paign.
AS for Attorney General Palmer.
MIR. Bryan chafes because of the In
junction issued by Mr.. Palmer against
thinks the democrats should keep in
the good graces sof labor. and while
he approves heartily of Mr.. Palmer's
prohibition views. he does not think
the Attorney General can qualify as
a friend of labor.
Test Of Eligibility.
To all the candidates on the list Mr.
Bryan applies this test-prohibition
woman suffrage, friendliness to labor.
capacity for business administration
and recognition of the interests of the
farmer. Mr.. Meredith supplies all Of
these qualities. He ran for governor
of Iowa on a dry ticket and is known
as archampion of prohibition. He has
ardently supported woman suffrage.
He has taken a broad attitude on the
question Of labor and was appointed
a member of the public group in the
Presidents first industrial commis-
sion.
Mr.. Meredith is. moreover. sue
cessful business man. He is the editor
and publisher of Successful Farming.
one of the largest farm periodicals
in the country. He is q promoter of
thinks in terms of business efficiency
He favors the league of nations and
has been consistent supporter OF
President Wilson.
has never taken himself seriously as
Il presidential aspirant. Many OF his
friends here, however, who are not
inclined to think he has much OF
chance this year, even with MI
Bryan's support say he would make
from now, as he would by that time
have acquired an intimate knowledge
of government administration through
his membership in the cabinet.
Mr. Meredith is himself one of the
''big four In Iowa's delegation to the
democratic convention at San Fran
cisco While he has worked hard to
have the delegation go uninstructed.
he is at the same time eager to have
Iowa support ultimately the can
didacy of William G.. McAdoo on the
floor of the convention. Other mem
bers of the Iowa delegation are str1v-
ing to have Iowa's delegates instruct
ed now under the unit rule for
Palmer. There will be a state con-
ference of Iowa democrats next week.
when no doubt the supporters OF Nc
Adoo and Palmer will begin the bat
tie for an instructed or uninstructed
delegation.
situation in Nebraska.
Meanwhile the attitude of William
Jennings Bryan is significant of the
couree he intends to follow. Mr..
Bryan himself is not likely to be a
delegate to the convention. Ne
braskans here insist that there are
more vets than drys in the demo-
cratic primaries in Nebraska and that
Senator Hitchcock and a wet ticket
of delegates will win. This makes
Mr. Bryan all the more anxious to
select, leading dry from the neigh
boring state of Iowa to support.
Whether he is a delegate or not, Mr..
Bfyan is out to make the democratic
convention dry. And Edwin T.
Meredith is and has been a pro-
nouhced advocate of prohibition for
many years. So the spectacle pre-
sents itself of former Secretary of
State in the Wilson cabinet support
ing for the presidential nomination
the Secretary of Agriculture as against
the Attorney General and a former
Secretary of the Treasury in the same
cabinet.
Whatever the dramatic episodes of
the jackson day dinner may have
spelled at the time. they have failed
p 10 introduce any substantial element
TO compete with the hold which the
Wilson men seem to have on the
fortunes of the democratic party.
Even Mr.. Bryan selects Wilson man
as his own candidate. And the next
nominee. whoever he is, will Sbe ap-
proved or disapproved on the record
OF the tituiar leader of the democratic
party-Woodrow Wilson.
Copyright. 1920)