Evening star., 1924-01-22

Out of d clear sky came n sug-
gestion from Hon.-yclept colonel
William Jennings Bryan, oft-time
candidate for President and probably
the most popular personally, but not
votingly. American, that his candidate
for the democratic presidential nomi-
nation was no less a parsonage than
DR.. A. A. Murphree, president OF the
University Of Florida. This sugges-
ton came just before the meeting OF
the democratic national committee in
Washington. Mr.. Bryan attended
that gathering. He made it plain
that he was opposed to all announced
aspirants for the nomination. And
he was certainly opposed to the Sc
lection Of New York as the city for
the convention.
But New York won, and Mr.. Muir
nhree was hardly even mentioned by
any delegate excepting Daniel Ryon
of New York. secretary of Tam
many Hall, who insisted there Were
men Of that baf bafe they ama ha apelled ed
tbsir his organ,za'iSMn'u gama M-'u-P.ph-ySwith P no,
ssre spare "e;s." So the various editors
OF the nation ever since have Deen
irving to ascertain the Bryan motive.
The CnlcI SuS PO4A-
tics as is" was the compelling mo-
tive. AS the Brooklyn Eagle sees It,
"both McAdoo and Underwood would
probably like to keep Mr.. Bryan of
the floor of the 1924 convention.
Therefore, the election of Mr. Bryan
as a Florida delegate is not certain,
though it may be likely. That his
stand in favor of a Florida candidate
will help him in his fight for election
as delegate is reasonably clear. In
10 haC n
for the support of his dearest enemy,
Tammany Hall. according to the Syr-
acuse Herald, (which asks: How
can Tammany afford 70 antagonize
Florida. even IL he does spell his
name with 'ree'?" And, anyway.
"the incident is pregnant with warm
ing to one McAdoo, who thought he
had monopoly OF the dry progress
y ,sS: =
The Detroit Free Press wonders
whether Mr.. Bryan sis booming a
Florida man in order that Florida
men may boom him later on, or try
ing to break Senator Underwood's
grip on some Of the southern states,
or, in a broad and general way, try
ing TO build up little privately con-
trolled delegation from Florida that
he can handle as circumstances de-
mand when the democratic conven-
ton begins its work" The Bryan
action is open to a variety OF inter-
pretations, in the opinion OF the Bur
lington Free Press, which declares
the support of a favorite son would
not only help Bryan to secure cleo
ton as a member of the Florida dele
cation, but the railying of the
Florida delegation about a faVorite
son would inevitably hold it solid
eventually help Bryan to place it
noke Times suggests, further. that
"Mr. Bryan secretly covets the noml.
nation himself, and If he cannot get
it his second choice is his brother,
now Governor of Nebraska" but,
knowing full we'll that he could not
induce Florida democrats to support
Brother Charlie, and being too ex-
avow his own aspirations, he is put
ting DR.. Murphree as blind, hoping
through a clever appeal to local pride,
to enlist Florida's Endorsement OF a
Bryan-led delegation to the conVen-
enough, of course, to drop DR.. Muir
phree after a few preliminary ballots,
and the delegation then could be
voted as Mr.. Bryan saw Mt" AnG,
to imagine, according to the Hartford
Times, that "Mr. Bryan would not pc
too completely cast down if at the
Conclusion Of his speech. the dele
gates forgot to yell Murphree! Mur-
phreen amid the universal acclaim or
Bryan! Bryant"
X X X *
The Knoxville Sentinel calls atten-
ton to Mr. Bryan's seeming under
taking to namea candidate from each
of the forty-eight states Of the Union,
and it goes on to say: 1--WE think
We can guess Mr.. Bryan's puzzle pic