Evening star., 1924-07-10
The Running Mate.

In completing the ticket so happily
started with the nomination of Mr..
Davis the Democratic convention had
to pass through a difficult process of
| selection. The long fight for first
place had brought into the field many
possibilities. Foremost, undoubtedly,
of these was Senator Walsh, who, pre-
viously conspicuous for his services
in the oil inquiry, had as permanent
! chairman of the convention endeared
himself to all by his fairness, his
patience, his remarkable capacity for
handling a situation fraught with fac
tors of complete decentralization. Then
there was former Secretary Meredith,
in an excellent strategic geogra phical
position, in the land Of the agricul-
tural disaffection. There was Huston
Thompson, also from the debatable
western land, with a good record of
administrative success and regarded
as acceptable to the La Toilette party.
There was a newcomer in the political
field, Mr.. Berry, identified with or
ganized labor. There were others of
personal and political merit.
But Senator Walsh declined to per-
init consideration of his name on the
ground that he was likely to be of
more use to his party on the floor of
the Senate than in the chair. Mr..
Meredith declined for unspecified rea.
sons, but peremptorily. This con-
al
sibility of a renewal of the deadlock.
That was a distressing prospect. The
blockade Of nine days of balloting for
the presidential nomination was more
than enough to satisfy the fighting
spirit of the party representatives and
they. were quite willing that the Sec
onu-place nomination should be settled
behind closed doors by a group of
leaders. So that was done. Out of a
conference the details of which may
never be fully known came the agree
ment that Mr.. Davis running mate
should be Charles w. Bryan. Governor
Of Nebraska the Connmoner's brother
1t is stated that the wishes of the
presidential nominee favored him.
Accordingly Mr.. Bryan was put
over" on the first ballot and the long
agony of the convention was at an
end.
Gov. Bryan was Nebraska's favorite
son during the first stages of the fight
for the presidential nomination and
bobbed up again from time to time
after his selection became improbable.
He was one of those mentioned by
his eminent kinsrnan as worthy of
the party's first choice in a speech
delivered during the progress of the
emphatic rejection of Mr.. Davis at the
time of that speech the selection of
his brother as Mr.. Davis running
mate would almost seem to be de-
signed as a bit of strategy to mollify
the ex-Nebraskan and bring him to
support the ticket. At all events, it
has at least had the effect of eliciting
from him perhaps the shortest po-
litical statement he ever uttered, Il
shall support the ticket
Gov. Bryan has until comparatively
recently been in the shadow Of his
more prominent relative, whose &C.
tivities during his years of presidency
seeking permitted no interest in those
of his immediate personal circle. Of
late years; however, especially since
the Commoner became less definitely
identified with Nebraska, Brother
Charles has been striking out on his
own and has achieved considera-
BILE political success. Now he is
governor of the state. He has won
his own place in the sun. His selec-
tion as the Democratic candidate for
Vice President would seem to be good
tactics on the part of those who
tardily' came to the rescue at New
York and managed the convention.