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The Commoner,
VOLUME. 12, NUMBER 4
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This Idler was received by Mr. Bryan in response to a arc
ular letter sent out from The Commoner office
Form 2103
Office of
Assist. Superintendent
Standard 6-11-25000
Union Pacific Railroad Company
In reply please refer to
No :
Ogden, Utah, January 5th, 1912.
Tho Hon. W. J. Bryan,
Lincoln, Neb.
My Dear Mr. Bryan: . . .
In reply to your letter of Deer. 18th., in regard to the Presidential Campaign which is now approaching,
and who should he the choice of the Democratic party as their standard hearer this year.
After looking over the available candidates, their records and what they have done for the democratic
party in tho past, and what they might do in the future, I have come to the conclusion that Judson A.
Harmon is tho logical candidate for President on the Democratic ticket in 1912, My reasons for tins are:
That Governor Harmon is the strongest man that the party has got; he carried the state of Ohio with a
plurality of about one hundred thousand, when it was carried by a republican candidate for President by
nearly the same number. While in 1896, Governor Harmon did not support the democratic ticket, which
was tho ticket you ran on, as he could not agree with you on tho silver question, I understand that he
did support you in 1900; he also supported the ticket in 1904 and gave it his undivided support in 1908.
Many of the best laws in the Statute books of the State of Ohio were placed there during the term of office
enjoyed by him.
We have, as you know, many candidates, among them Woodrow Wilson, Champ Clark and Joseph F.
Folk, but none of these men measure out to the standard of Governor Harmon.
While I am a stranger in the state of Utah and not in touch with the Political situation here, I intend
to use what influence I may have in this State to send a delegation to the next Democratic Convention in
favor of Judson A. Harmon as Candidate for President of the United States on the Democratic Ticket.
At present, I am at a loss to understand whom your choice for candidate is, but I trust you will see
the wisdom and the great benefit which would come to the Democratic party by having such a man as
Harmon at the head of the ticket. The warring factions in the Republican party makes our success seem
more plausible. At present the complexion of the Republican party would indicate that Taft will be re
nominated, whom if we must have a republican president, I would much rather see there than a man of
LaFollette's type, as I think that the greatest calamity that could happen to this country would be to have
Robert A. La Follette as the next president.
With best wishes, I am,
Yours very truly,
GEO. O. BROPHY,
Asst. Superintendent.
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conversation. I have not seem him since that
time. If I mistake- not thcro in an implication
perhaps in Col. Watterson's letter to Senator
Tillman probably not intended te the effect
that ho secured funds for tho campaign from
Mr. Ryan. No such contribution has been made
and this, of course, Col. Wattorson well knows.
"Tho woll-timed assaults upon Governor
Wilson are rendering a real service. I will
specify in one respect. Since tho beginning of
theso attacks I have received in my mail many
small contributions from all over tho country
from people who have not been asked to contri
bute and whom neither I nor Governor Wilson
know. Their lottors all convey expressions of
resentment at the unfair and concerted attacks
that are being made upon him."
WATTERSON'S LATER STATEMENT
Following are Associated Press dispatches:
Washington, Jan. 29. Colonel Henry Watter-
Bon, in a statement issued tonight intended to
bring a "distasteful episode" to an end so far
as he was concerned, declared that tho issue
between him and Governor Woodrow Wilson
was solely as to which one had "lied." Colonel
Wattorson said he "had engaged conclusively to
show" that Governor Wilson had lied, and
charged that tho New Jersey executive "dared
not face the facts." Colonel Watterson declined
to make public any proofs In his possession. Ho
denied that Thomas P. Ryan had even been ap
proached for campaign contributions for Gover
nor Wilson, but stated that the matter had been
talked over with Governor Wilson, and the lat
ter had "expressed the fear" that if the knowl
edge of a contribution from Mr. Ryan got abroad
it might do more harm than good.
Trenton, N. J., Jan. 29. -Governor Woodrow
Wilson refused tonight to make any statement
in reply to the one issued by Col. Henry Watter
son. The governor said he would first read the
matter given out by Colonel Watterson care
fully before deciding to make any reply.
"At any rate," ho said, "I shall not issue a
statement tonight."
New York, Jan. 2 9. ."Colonel Watterson has
a beautiful vocabulary and has composed a
splendid speech," said William F. McCombs,
Governor Wilson's campaign manager, when
asked by newspaper men tonight if he had any
thing to say in reply to Colonel Watterson's now
statement on the so-called Harvey-Wilson con
troversy over campaign contributions.
An analysis of tho colonel's statement shows
?i 7 i?hat be refutes himself and conrfims all
that I have said about the matter," added Mr.
McCombs, who refused to make any further com
ment, except that he could not imagine who tho
gentleman of distinction" referred to by
Colonel Watterson could be.
Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 29. William J. Bryan
passed through Kansas City tonight on his way
to his Texas farm. Mr. Bryan said that so far
the Wilson-Harvey-Wattorson controversy had
not caused Governor Wilson to smart.
His manager," Mr. Bryan continued, "says
that Ryan's money was offered and rejected and
that was to Wilson's credit. Unless they have
something to offset, Governor Wilson will profit
decidedly by the incident.".
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