Evening star., 1920-01-08
the people down my way do not much
care whether he is or not"
Has Strength in West and South.

the people down my way do not much
care whether he is or not
Has Strength in West md South.
Strength for Herbert Hoover comes
not merely out of the west, from which
section he halls. but from the south.
One of the men who has much to do
with South Carolina politics and dele
cations for instance. told me that II
the convention were held tomorrow 1t
would not be a difficult matter to
swing South Carolina for Hoover.
But there are certain pledges that
always go for the first ballot. One
man who controls another state said
he was pledged to McAdoo. but he
thought in the end he might be found
swinging his delegation toward Hoover.
1t is we'll to get perspective on the
Hoover candidacy, however. He has
no organization or headquarters. Nor
are any friends who can be counted
as intimates of the former food admin
istrator busy talking about him. His
strength appears to be coming from
the non-political elements in various
communities. but it is of sufficient size
to cause the politicians to admit, even
as early as this. that Herbert Hoover
is factor in the nomination contest
in the democratic party.
Watch Bryan for Ixsues.
AS for issues. keep your eye on Will
liam Jennings Bryan. Just at the mo-
ment when liberals and radicals and
labor votes and large sections of the
alien population have been preparing
to go over to the republican party.
partly as a protest against some
phases of President Wilson's foreign
policy, such as his handling of the
Fiume question or the Irish problem
or the demands of the railway broth
against the attitude of PoStma Ster
General Burleson toward labor unions
and the use of the injunction power
against the coal miners. along comes
Brother Bryan to help keep the dem
ocratic vote intact. No matter how
radical his expressions no matter
how critical his Itterances, no matter
how extreme his suggestions. the con-
servative wing of the democratic
party, which is as interested in keep
ing a solid front in the party as is
Mr.. Bryan. shrewdly welcomes the re-
turn of the commoner to prevent the
party from diSintegrating.
There is, for instance, Il noticeable
leaning on the part of eastern demo-
Gratis toward the wet side of the pro-
hibition problem, but the Commoner is
fully capable of preventing his party
from going too far afeld on that
question by the natural check which
his influence in the party councils will
he on overzealouS "wets."
Will Bryan Be Fnctor in ContestY
viii Bryan be a factor himself in
the nominating contest? Hardly in
the sense that he can nominate him
self, but certainly in the sense that he
can cause considerable trouble for
any candidate who does not share to
some extent at least, his conception of
what the democratic platform should
be.
AS for delegates, it is the same old
story. The party in power happens
to be democratic, but it has occurred
again and again when the republicans
were on the inside namely the Of
ficeholders and man in the White
House can, under our present system,
control the choice of the convention.
Although President Wilson is not
going to be a candidate himself, his
letter to the Jackson day dinner
shows clearly that he does not mean
to keep his hands off the party ma
chinery.
Mr.. Bryan is what may be called
radical liberal; Woodrow Wilson is a
conservative liberal. The two forces
pro badly will reach a compromise by
the time the convention is over as
they both value democratic harmony
more than they do their own opinions.
Also Mr.. Bryan has swallowed in
edible platforms before, and Mr.. Will
son is an avoWed opportunist. And
when it comes to candidates, it viii
not be surprising to find the Wilson
influence being turned in the direc-
ton of Herbert Hoover. if the repub-
Iicans have not captured him by mid
summer.
Copyright, 1920.