The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-31
CANDIDATE COCKRELL
FAvoRITE SON OF STATE OF
 MISSOURI.
So Far the Only Ones to Boom Him Are Residents of the Common wealth He Represents in
 the Senate.
Advertiser Bureau, Colorado Building,

NOlOTduO buIlul0B,
 Washington, Dec. 30
 Every time a Missouri representative in Congress responds to newspaper interview on politics he booms Senator Cockrell for President by way of Dem- ocratic nomination.
 Representative Dougherty is the latest advocate of the Missouri senator It seems that last October there was a gath ering of prominent Missouri Democrats at Mobley. in that State. and they de- cided unanimously to advocate the senior senator for the Democratic nomination for President. Senator Cockrell was no- tified of the action of the gathering, and responding, meekly said he couldn't help 1t; that if the people of the State want ed him for their candidate that was q matter he could not avoid.
 Says MT. Dougherty: Neither in that letter nor by any other utterance has he indicated that he would not be our candidate. I feel very sure that he has not compromised himself with any other candidate for the nomination in a way to prevent the use of his name in the con- vention."
 MT. Dougherty says also that while no active campaign for the senator has been made outside of the State one will be made later on.'
 The singular unanimity of the Missouri delegation for Senator Cockrell is a lit- tie remarkable to outside Democrats. Senator Cockrell does not stand in high favor just now as a party man. Indeed 1t is common talk that no Democrat in the Senate of late years has cast so many votes with the Republicans as the senior senator from Missouri. He has incurred more criticism than ever by his zig orOus opposition in caucus to be bound by any sort of party agreement and re- fused to vote on the direct issue of whether a vote of two-thirds of the Demo- crats of the Senate should bind.
 Senator Cockrell Is one of the Senate fathers. Only one other senator, Will liam B. Allison of Iowa, has had a longer continuous service than Senator Cockrell. Mir. Allson's beginning March 1, 1873, and MT. Cockrell's just two years later. so that by March 4, 1904, he will have served twenty-nine years continu- ously.
 During all his long career in the Sem ate he has not marked the statutes with single act of general interest with which his name is familiarity connected. He has never made q speech that was mem orable, seldom speaking on any question. and painstaking worker in the commit But for all that he has been tireless tees of which he has been a member. His service on three committees of the Sen ate has been long and valuable, the com mittees being Appropriation, Military Af- fairs and Engrossed Bills. Their busi- ness has given him frequent occasion to address the President of the Senate, but always on some report to which he call ed attention with very few words.
 Not many people when they come to discuss Senator Cockrell know that he was a very valiant Confederate soldier. He makes no mention of the fact in his biography in the Congressional Directory but the history of the Civil War will show that his service was conspicuous for the Southern cause. He was in the army of General Sterling Price in Mis- souri early in the war and later served on the eastern side of the Mississippi in several important campaigns He rose from the ranks to be a brigadier. At the fierce battle of Corinth he was in the van of the charging, and in the awfully tragic assault upon the Union works at Franklin. Tenn. he led his brigade to a hand to hand struggle with the de- lenders and held his ground. After the war General Cockrell practiced law at Mo. until his election to the Senate just ten years after the sur render
 During his long service in the Senate he has reared most interesting family in including several charming daughters. His home is one of the most hospitable in the city. The only token that he ever followed the Stars and Bars Is a portrait of himself in the grey uni- form of a Confederate brigadier general. The picture hangs in the parlor where ali visitors can see it.
 As already intimated. it is a matter of quizzical interest only why an eSort should be made to obtain the Democratic for President for Senator Cockrell. He seems not to be advocated for the honor by single soul outside OI Missouri. The only explanation for it Is In the theory that the favOrite-son en- terpriee fin politics has it's value in the crisis of conventions for trading purposes. The Missouri politicians, in other words, mean to hold intact their thirty-siX votes, and should a close contest for the nomi- nation occur will be in a position to do effective as well as spectacu- lar. It is safe to say that they would be willing to compromise on the vice presi- dency for the senator.
 But if Senator Cockrell expects any fa- vors of the national Democracy at the coming convention, 1t goes without say ing that he will be obliged to demonstrate A little more party fervOr and sympathy and voting with-the-party than he has showed during recent years.