San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-15

position to Wall Street domination.
Some Of my prominent political
friends came into Nebraska and mado
an active canvass of the state in ia
vor Of Clark and against Wilson.
George Fred Williams and ex-Sena-
tor Pettigrew of South Dakota. spent
some time in the state. They were
both strongly against Wilson. They
quoted letter written by Wilson
about 1907 to Adrian Joline. in which
Wilson expressed n wish to see some.
one knock Mr.. Bryan once and for
all. into a cooked hat" They quoted
also extracts from Mr.. Wilson's ut
tcranceS on the money question.
FAVORS DIVISION.
They urged the support of Clark On
the ground that he had always sup
ported the things that / advocated,
and therefore, was nearer to me in lis
political ideas and ideals, / favored
division of the delegation so as 10
avoid fight between the two pro-
gressive candidates. but Mr.. Wilson's
manager insisted on having two.thirIs
of the delegation, and thus preventing
a joint ticket.
was SO anxious TO preserve an
attitude of perfect neutrality between
the two that tried 10 make the vote
in my home precinct as nearly equal
rs possible. There were two voters
at my home. and l advised them TO
vote ono for Clark and one for Viii
son. When the returns came in it
was found that Clark had the instruc-
tons. but that Wilson had n major
ity of the delegatcs-bound to Clark
by instructions. OF course, but per
sonally friendly to Wilson.
DECLINES GUARDIANSHIP.
Some time in the spring Norman
f. Mack, the committeeman from New
York, wrote me and asked if ! would
like TO be temporary chairman. l an
swered that j did not think it wise
to be temporary chairman. My rca-
son for not wanting to enter the race
for chairman was that some of the
metropolitan papers we're constituting
my neutrality between the two lead
ing candidates ms evidence of a desire
to be n candidate myself. I was
afraid that / would be accused of
trying to stampede the convention,
that being the possibility upon which
the unfriendly papers dwelt at great
est length.
AS the convention approached it
became apparent that the progrcssives
would be in control Of the convention,
and that Clark would have more votes,
although neither would have a ma
jority.
wrote Governor Wilson and sug-
gested to him that we should have
a Progressive chairman, and that as
neither had majority, the choice
would naturally fall TO the candidate
having the largest number of votes.
SUGGESTS JAMES.
called his attention TO the fact
that Ollie James, the candidate of
the Clark delegates. was a Progressive
and a fair-minded man, and suggest
cd that he accept him in case he
could not have the man of his choice.
Wilson answered saying that he
preferred OGorman. / mention this
fact to combat the unfair criticism
of Mr.. Clark's friends directed
against me after ! changed my vote,
At Chicago / watched the Rcpubli-
can convention select n candidate I'M
der the pressure of influence from
Wall Street. What I saw there made
me sensitive to the influence of Wall
Street in our own convention. While
] was at Chicago, the Democratic ma
tlonal committee met and selected
Judge Alton Il. Parker as temporary
chairman. In the contest before the
committee, the Clark men had sup
ported Ollie James, the Wilson men
Judge O'Gorman. Neither having
majority, Parker finally received the
support of the Clark men, and be-
came the choice of the committee.
SCORES SELECTION.
Josephus Daniels, then member of
the committee for North Carolina,
called me up by telephone and asked
me what j thought of the selection. |
told him that l not only would criti-
clze the selection, but the committee
that selected il, Judge Parker being
the one man in the party who was
conspicuously known as the repre-
sentative of Wall Street.
then prepared the following tcle-
gram which i sent to each of the can
didates for the presidential nomina-
ttion:
In the interest of harmony, ! sug-
gest to the subcommittee of the Demo-
cratic National Committee the adj
visibility of recommending as tempo
rary chairman some progressive ac-
ccptable to the leading progressive
candidates for the presidential nomi-
nation. | take it for granted that no
committeeman interested in Demo
cratic success would desire to offend
the members of convention over
whelmiDgIy progressive by naming n
rcactionary TO sound the keynote OF
the campaign. Eight members of the
subcommittee have, however. over the
protest Of the remaining eight, agreed
upon not only a reactionary, but upon
the one Democrat who, among those
not candidates for the presidential
nomination. is, in the eyes of the pub
lie. most conspicuously identified with
the reactionary element of the party.
shall be pleased to join you and
your friends in opposing his selection
by the full committee or by the con-
vcntion. Kindly answer here
WILSON'S ANSWER.
The answer of Governor Wilson,
while not as direct as ] would have
liked. began with sentence that led
the delegates to accept it as a prom
Use to oppose the Parker candidacy,
which his delegates did.
That first sentence of Wilson's 20.
ply was: "You are quite right Gov
ernor Burke Of North Dakota. sent
the only explicit acceptance Of che