The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-26
TIE UNEXPECTED IN POLITICS.

THE UNEXPECTED IN POLITICS.
The Boston Herald thinks It is well
that the recent election really brought
no Democrat so prominently to the front
that he is likely to be a formidable can
didate for the Presidency. 1t argues that
1t Is much better for the party to have
a wide open field, as Il were, from which
to select such candidate as will be most
available.
We are inclined to the opinion that The
Heraid's theory IL a good one. II the
result Of the late election had been such
as to make any Democrat the necessary
or even the logical candidate for the
Presidency the war on him would have
been already inaugurated. We do not
mean solely the war which would come
from his political enemies, but from those
aspiring men in his own party who would
look on him as an obstacle to be re-
moved. They would all regard him as
legitimate prey. and as bar to any
aspirations they might have in that d.
rection.
In this connection 1t is interesting to
note some instances of wholly Unexpected
nominations which were fortunate, both
for the party and for the country. James
X. Polk was hardly considered an i'm
aginable Presidential quantity previous
to the assembling of the Democratic Con-
vention in 1874. If he had been thought
of and mentioned It was in such way that
the public at large were in ignorance
| of the fact. who Is James K. Polk?'
was not an uncommon question among
Democrats all over the country after he
| had been nominated. Yet this almost I'M
the greatest men of the country. the
| idol OF his party, and a man considered
| almost invincible before the people. The
| popular majority for Polk was not large
| but he received nearly two-thirds of
the electoral votes.
Eight years later the same thing oc-
| Cured, but in a more prominent form,
for Polk had been a member of Con-
Kf68S, -
Representatives. and Governor of Ten
nessee. Though not known as a Presi-
Dental possibility he was by no means
an obscure man. Franklin Pierce, 1t is
true, had served in both Houses of Con-
gress, but he was almost unknown to
the country at large when the National
Democratic Convention of 1852 unexpect-
eddy took him up and nominated him
| for President 1t was a thorough sur
| prise to the country generally and to
Democrats especially, none of whom, In
all probability, had ever heard him men
toned in that connection. His victory
was more decisive than Folks. fer he
received over sc. per cent of the cleo
toral vote, and a good majority Of the
popular vote over Gen. Winfield Scott.
While the Democracy in 1904 may not
take either of these cases as precedents
| to be followed. they are both interesting
as examples of the unexpected in poll
tics, and as evidences of the good policy
Of sometimes departing from the beaten
path and doing what nobody expects to
be done. Some Of the Democrats who
| have been so prominently before the
| country in the shape of Presidential can
| didates are strong men and would make
| good Presidents. but 1t may be that their
| prominence will prove their weakness
1t may be that they are so we'll known
and have been talked of so much that
their apparent strength will really han
dicap them.
| On the other hand, there are Democrats
l whose names have never been mentioned
| In connection with the Presidency, but
| who are thoroughly qualified for the Of
flee, and the Convention may take one
| of them up and send him out to victory
as Polk and Pierce were sent more than
half century ago. The unexpected eft
en- happens in politics as in other things.
| And in this connection it is not out OF
place te remark that the administrations
of these two unknown men were credit
able and successful, largely so, perhaps,
on account of the strong men IN their
Cabinets Polk had as his constitutional
advisers such men as Buchanan, Marcy,
Mason, Walker and Toucey, while Pierce
called to his assistance Marcy, Guthrie,
Jefferson Davis and Caleb Gushing. 1t
may be that these strong Cabinet Off
GERS made strong administrations, but the
Presidents are entitled to the credit of
| surrounding themselves with able and
| patriotic men. 1t may be repeated in the
| next term.