Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-07-02
OTHER GROUPS AID
COMM0NER'S-HGHT
Many Western and Southern
Delegates Oppose "WaII
Street Man."
BACKERS ARE HOPEFUL
See Prospect of Getting Most
Smiths Votes When Dead
lock Is Broken.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
NEW YORK, July Bryan versus
Wall street, controversy of the vintage
of 1896, is the up-to-date situation into
which the Democratic national conven-
ton of 1924 has drifted. The commoner
has put himself at the head of a cru
SADIE which is determined fiercely to frus-
trate the nomination of John W. Davis.
Bryan is assailing Davis in practically
the same terms that he fought William
Mckinley. He calls Davis the tool of
the interests" 'Morgans lawyer" Wall
streets candidate and the certain be-
| trayer of the cause of the plain pee pul'
in case he should, by any unhappy
set of circumstances, be elevated to the
presidency.
Bryan is apparently bent on crushing
Davis in New York. just as he eventually
succeeded in destroying Champ Clark at
Baltimore The Nebraskan-F'ioridan's
plans, which at no time have been d
secret, did not publicly manifest them
selves until the dramatic rise in Davis
strength on Tuesday.
Immediately the votes of Missouri
and Mississippi were transferred to
Davis and pointed to him as the in
eyitable dark horse, Bryan unmasked
all his batteries. They are now blaz-
ing away at the West Nirginian $
trenches. BY every artifice at his
command. the commoner is carrying
on his vendetta. He has the enthusi-
astic aid of the Hearst press. He Is
touring delegations on the conNen-
ton floor. He is circulating reprints
Hearst papers. He invades the press
section. He whispers, gosslps and talks
to leaders. delegates, reporters
everybody in whose system an anti
Davis seed may usetuily De planted.
Everywhere Bryan is speaking the
language that gave him fame in 1895.
Between concessions to Davis per-
sonal integrity and tributes to his
legal skill. Bryan charged that the
Morgan lawyer" could not carry a
aims or north of Mason and Dixon's
line He asserted that John w. Davis
would be as badly beaten for the
presidency, if nominated. IS the last
New Yorker" to be Democratic
standard bearer, Judge Alton E.
Parker.
Crusade Not Futile.
1t would be idle to contend that
the Bryan crusade against Davis is
futile. When the convention reas-
sembled this morning there was
general impression that Davis has
been stopped. His progress is ar
rested-if it really has been arrest
ed-at the moment his prospects
seemed the most brilliant. 1t would
be equally difficult to describe the
electrical thrill that shot through
Madison Square Garden all Tuesday
afternoon and evening every time the
ballots revealed a Davis gain, even II
enthusiasm evoked by Smith squirt
euualed the joy expressed when the
Davis star seemed to be IN the as
cendant Every external sign showed
that the convention was ready 10 &C
claim the West Nirginian as the nom
inee. Then the deadly work of Will
liam Jennings Bryan began to show
it's effects. We are in the midst OF
situation where the psychology OF
things. is of tremendous importance
The merest suggestion that the Davis
boom should be checked, and is on
the eve of collapse, suffices to pune
ture it, almost fatally.
Bryan Not Alone.
Bryan does not stand alone in his
opposition to the West Virginian.
Even in western delegations. where
Bryan influence counts for little. anti
Davis sentiment is strong. In the
south. too, Davis unavailability is
emphasized because of his Wall
street associations The westerners
and the southerners. who join with
Bryan in decrying the Davis cause,
insist that such hopes of victory as
are left to the Democratic party De
pend upon the nomination IN New
York of an out-and-out progressive.
If the standard bearer is to be
simply a Democratic Coolidge
of the anti-Davis slogans that now
has currency in Madison Square Gar
as geographlcally re-
mote from each Other as IA Jos s6 mus
T. Meredith of Iowa bluntly say the
Jig is up. They argue that such
candidacy would hand the November
election to the Republicans on
golden platter. Meredith is reported
to feel so strongly on the Davis prop
osition that he declines to consider a
Davis and Meredith ticket. which has
been suggested.
Hopes for Davis.
The Davis people have by no means
thrown up the sponge. They &C
knowledge the formidable nature OF
the Bryan barrage, supported, as they
believe it to be, by a "senatorlal |
oligarchy'' determined to wrest the
nomination for some United States
senator. The Davisites seem to be
counting on Smith support eventually
to win the day for them. The big
business interests that would he
gratified by a conservative nomina-
ton of the Davis type are closely
linked with Tammany interests in
New York City and state. If there |
seemed to be a Bryan-McAdoo combl- |
nation to thwart John w. Davis, a |
so-called Wall street Tammany-Smith |
to support him is an
imminent probability. Brennan of |
Illinois is favorable to Davis. The
Cox strength in Ohio, on account of |
Davis league of nations views, may |
eventually be thrown to him.
Events are moving so rapidly. dis |
gust with convention conditions is |
becoming so universal, that the spec
llation of the wisest politicians may |
be wrecked before this report OF |
them can reach the printed page. |
Tom Taggart, sage old Democratic |!
owl, said this morning to downcast
who returned to Wash |
ngton, disgruntled and disillusioned,
hat I'VE are running around in the
same circles in which we were rum
hing ten days ago" No one can chal-
enge the accuracy of Taggart's |
epitome of the situation. The In
diana boss could have gone further