The age-herald., 1901-03-18
WHO WILL BE
 DEMOCRATIC
 CANDIDATE? Hill and Cleveland Letters Are Still Widely Discussed SOME PRESIDENTIAL TIMBER The Only Available Men to Lead the Democratic Party Seem to be David B. Hill and Rich
 ard olney.
SOME PRESIDENTIAL TIMBER

Ase-Herald Bureau. 5o9 Fourteenth St, N. W, Washington, March 17.-(Special.) The letters of Cleveland and Hill to the Crescent Democratic Club of Baltimore have given gossip as to probable Demo- cratic candidates for the Presidency in 1904 new start. The opinion is becoming more general in Washington that not withstanding the "commoner" and the number of friends he has connected with Democratic organizations throughout the country, MT. Bryan will find it difficult to make himself a conspicuous character before the next Democratic national con vention. Even those Democrats who have been most devoted to his fortunes are beginning to conclude that it may be better for the Democracy to start with new page in the fight of 1904. Bryanism is becoming memory, and even if some of it's principles are put to the fore in 1904, the idea is that new candidate, and necessarily one who did not kick over the traces both in 1896 and 1900, must be brought out. It is appreciated that MT. Bryan may be a troublesome quantity, but Democrats are accustomed to say that the party can survive many defeats and is greater than any one man.
 It is, of course, early to think of pos siblites-the events of the next three years will have a most important bear Ling upon the future. Some Democrat may become prominent by carrying a Re- publican stronghold or urging some new issue, Just at present. however, the two men most spoken of are David B. Hill of New York and R,chard Olney of Mas sachusetts Each IL strong With south ern men and these two, just at present, seem to be the only available material. Certainly there is no9 one in the House of Representatives who in any sense meas ures up to Presidential size, from Dem ocratic standpoint, and the Senate is equally barren of talent.
 He Must be Developed.
 Consequently some new man must be developed in Congress, some one entering the new Congress or some state must bring him forward. Hill and Olney- have the prestige of the past to commend them. Hill seems to appeal more to the average Democrat because he is an old war horse, a splendid organizer and a maker of platforms that seem to promise much, but bind nobody to anything spe- cifc That latter quality has much to commend it to the average Democrat. Then Hill, though lacking in magnetism appeals peculiarly to many Democrats He was opposed to Bryan and Bryanism and yet last year fought energetically for both, and the emnity of Croker has gained him many friends. Of the two, Hill, at present, is the stronger.
 Olney is also wanting in magnetism and his personality is not attractive, all though his intellectual force is. He is supposed, also. to be popular with that element of the Democracy that Bryan drove out of the, party. His aggressive policy while Secretary of State-and he was a great secretary-is not forgotten. Then, his support of Bryan last year has caused his failure to support the "cheer- less" leader in 1896 to be forgiven. He is now regular and yet is not marked by so much as a scratch with any of the prin- ciples and follies that characterized Bry- anism With his present regularity and his record that Is so different from Bry- dUlSIn, ut lS ouppooco u nave tHc Qudli- ties that would not only command the regular Democratic vote but give con fidence to the Democrats who did not and could not worship Bryan and his isms.
 The Republican Candidate.
 While some admirers of President Mo- Kinley have suggested the possibility of his being a candidatei to succeed himself I that as the remotest possibility. Tho President, himself is too good & politi- elan, too excellent a judge of the Ameri- can people, to suppose that, notwith- standing his popularity, he would be able to break the unwritten tradition against a third term. He could probably not even be nominated The fate of U. S.. Grant would warn a less shrewd and far seeing man than William Mckinley against entertaining such a thought. Senator ITanna's impatient ejaculation when the idea was suggested showed the absurdity of such an idea.
 Right here it can be said that there are many men who think that Hanna would make a very good Presidential candidate He has the executive capacity, good judgment and business sense to make a good President, but he has no illusions on that question and does not permit the Presidential bee to buzz in his bonnet for a moment.
 vice-P President Roosevelt certainly Is to be considered as u Presidential possibil- ity, and will probably be in the running in 1904, but he is not suffering on that subject just now, his attention being oc- oupied more particularly with his new duties and with literary work. Later on he will be busy with the boom,