Bryan Comes Out Against Gov. Harmon

The Washington Times reported this evening that William Jennings Bryan, the so-called Great Commoner and three-time loser for president, has come out against Gov. Judson Harmon.  Harmon is considered one of the top three contenders for next year's Democratic nomination for the Presidency, along with Speaker Champ Clark and New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson.  In today's edition of The Commoner, the magazine quoted Bryan from the Liberal of Creighton, Nebraska, as calling Harmon the "candidate of the interests."  Bryan further accused Harmon of being the "candidate of the commercial criminals, among whom the supreme political issue is continuance of their 'divine right to rule.'"

Readers may remember a couple of weeks back when Bryan attacked Speaker Clark after the vote to continue tariffs on raw wool, which Bryan opposes.  While Clark wasn't directly involved in the caucus vote on the wool schedule, he didn't exactly work to stop it either and he is actively committed to its passage in the wider House.  Bryan threatened that Clark's chances of winning the nomination next year would depend on the caucus vote and that Woodrow Wilson was "doing good work in New Jersey."

When Bryan was in Washington for the wool tariff vote, he stated that he would not be for Harmon and that he regarded him as "reactionary."  With this new gauntlet thrown down, Democrats in Washington now expect Bryan to be more vocal in his opposition to the Ohio Governor.

Is all lost for Harmon in 1912?  Ohio's Lieutenant Governor Hugh Nichols recently visited a number of prominent New York Democrats to gauge their support.  New York is likely to be a pivotal state in next year's convention, and Harmon supporters are confident that the state along with much of the east coast, save New Jersey, will swing their way, depriving Wilson of much support.  Clark remains a determined wild card, with strong congressional support.  Wilson has the least support in Congress of the three main candidates, but he is coming on strong, according to an unnamed Democratic Member of Congress, who was quoted in the Washington Times article.

Link: Bryan Comes Out Strongly Against Governor Harmon [The Washington Times]