The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-20
PRESS ON CHARLES W. BRYAN

Bryan, brother of the Commoner, as can.
 dldate for the vice presidency came as
 asurprise to the country, yet the party press has found reasons why the selec. ton was good one. To be sure, some
 editors have taken a dig at the Bryan influence in party councils, but doubt less Bryan would not have been SO in- fluential if there had been a more able or skilled leader to counteract his influ- ence. Therefore, the criticism is in fact a. tribute to W. J. Bryan's generalshiu which has extended over a period, almost
 continuous, of thirty years. MT. Bryan has not been boss, but he certainly has
 been an influence. Nor is there any evi- dence that he was responsible for his
 brothers nomination.
 Tn the case of Governor Bryan, how ever, the Atlanta Constitution remarks ::
 Tn view of the fact that William Jen- nings Bryan, the better known brother, had openly and militantly fought the nomination of Davis and had said some rather bitter things about Wall Street and so on, 1t first appeared that the nom- 1nee had personally selected his running mate In order to placate William Jen- n1ngs. But such was not the case. He chose him upon Governor Bryan's own merits, and his own strength as a Dem ocratic performer, as we'll as a Demo- cratic vote-getter. He had made a rec ord, independent of his brothers over shadow1ng influence; that is outstand- ing. He had brought about economic reforms that marked his administration as one of the best in Nebraska's history. It cannot be doubted that the convention made a wise choice"
 To be sure, the unfriendly New York Evening Post, now under the control of C. w. Curtis of Philadelphia, who also owns the Public Ledger, has this to say, Which is typical of the unfavorable com ment: "He may be a good governor of Nebraska, but he is in no discernible way tltted to be vice president or succeed to the presidency of these United States
 Ills nomination goes far in cancelling Cne excellent impression made by the naming of John w. Davis. The attempt to- carry water on both shoulders, to kiss the East and pat the West on the back. IS too plain. The running mate of Davis does not go the Davis gait. The Demo- crats have set up lopsided ticket. They nave harnessed a thoroughbred with an cratic blow horse. Thereby they have placed a further handicap upon such chances of victory as they were able to salvage from their unfortunate conven t4on." Inasmuch as the Democrats ap- pear to be pretty we'll satisfied with the convention results, perhaps the Posts concern is wasted.
 Perhaps the situation is we'll defined by the New York World: Charles w, Bryan's great misfortune is that he has had to live most of his mature life in the shadow of the greater name of Will liam J. Bryan. It was not until the more famous brother had moved out of Nebraska and its politics that Charles ", Bryan began to appear in his own hght and to demonstrate his right to light of his own. His addition to the national Democratic ticket should be an element of strength to it in the West" This Is not ardent praise; but it is fair.
 In similar manner the New York Times says: "The nomination of Governor Bryan was much more than a tribute to his family name. His brother is the first to protest that the governor is a man standing upon his own feet and able to point to an independent personal rec ord. He has been popular and success tul governor of Nebraska. As the states of the Middle West are expected to be the scene of critical contests this year, the obvious hope is that Governor Bryan will be able to repel the assaults of the EaFolletians on the one hand and the Republicans on the other. His loyalty to the Democratic ticket, on which he has the honor of having his name placed, will be beyond question, and there is no doubt that he will seek to cooperate in every honorable way, and to the extent of his power and influence, with Mir. DAvis in planning and conducting the presidential campaign"
 Another Eastern viewpoint is set forth by the Baltimore Sun: ''It was a fore gone conclusion that Nle nomination for wee president would go to the West. MT. Bryan is said to have been the choice ot: MT. Davis and his close advisers. Po- ltical conditions compelled recognition of this section, and while it would be pure buncombe to assert that the selec- ton meets the wishes of the party. at least in the East, the East is fairminded enough and sportsmanlike enough to give MT. Bryan a hearing. A party which, out of the chaos that prevailed in New York, ep1erges with this ticket has much to be thankful for" Naturally the Republican New York Tribune takes the less char itable view: Although he comes from a Western farming state. Mir. Bryan does not possess the genuine appeal to the farmer which ex-Secretary Meredith or Governor Jonathan M. Davis of Kansas would have had. His name and family association apparently counted for more with the leaders than did his record or bis personal availability" As to his vote getting ability, Mir. Bryan turned a sev- enty-five-thousand Republican majority for the rest of the ticket into personal majority of fifty-one thousand votes, many of whom must have been farmers. A man with sufficient personality to change one hundred and twenty-five thousand votes is a man who gives Gov ernor Davis or any other governor a mark to shoot at. However, the main ob- feet was not to please the Tribune, which probably would not have advised the voters to support even a Democratic choice which was approved by itself.
 Ion the whole, the Democratic press
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