Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-15
VIRGINIA SENTIMENT
Canvass of the Legislature as
to Democratic Nominee.
NO. MENTION OF BRYAN
SENATOR GoRMAN DESIRED BY
THE LARGEST NUMBER.
The Trusts and the Tariff the Issues of
the Campaign-Looking for
Republican Aid.
NO MENTION OF BRYAN

islature has been made by the Richmond
News-Leader, an influential state paper, on
the choice of the members Of the legislature
for the democratic nominee for President
next year and on the issues on which the
fight should be made. To the letters sent
out by the paper large percentage of the
members of the legislature sent written
answers There are many significant fea-
lures to these answers. The first is that
not single answer mentions William ].
Bryan for another nomination. The second
is that the majority Of the men returning
answers are for Senator German as the
nominee, and the next largest for Judge
Parker of New York. In fact. these two
men are practically the only ones in the
minds of the Virginia democratic pohtl-
clans. AS to the issues on which the fight
must be made the answers are unanimous
the trusts and the tariff.
The greatest significance to be found IN
the answers to the issues is that there
is no demand for a complete overturnlns OF
the tariff. Revision is the word used by
a number of the legislators. The sugges-
ton of a moderate revision of the tariff,
something along the lines of the Iowa idea,
or possibly a little more radical, is said TO
be gaining ground among democratic lead
democratic representatives in Congress
draw attention privately to the fact
that there is less demand now than
for years from among the masses
of the people for what might be called
general tariff revision. The democrats are
trying to adjust sentiment within their
own party so that a platform may be made,
it is said, looking to moderate revision, es-
pec;ally of schedules giving protection to
trusts. The propos. ton is that the business
interests of the country must not be too
seriously, alarmed and that to avoid this
the democratic platform must depart from
some of the traditional tariff sentiments of
the past, and demand such revision of the
tariff as the people think ought to be made.
Looking for Republican Support.
1t is said among democratic leaders that
the shapers of sentiment in the party have
been shrewdly looking forward to what ap-
pears to be the republican attitude on the
tariff question next year. The leaders be-
lieve that the platform of the republicans
will promise little of specific character in
the matter of revision and that there will
be consequent dissatisfaction in some por-
tons of the party. BY catering to that ele-
ment of the republicans and by shaping SEN
ument in their own party favorable to mod
crate and conservative revision of the tar
if the democrats are looking forward more
hopefully to the outlook next year, 1t is
said. This spirit is apparent in some of the
answers from Virginia. it is pointed out.
Attention has been freely drawn to the
prospective squelching Governor Cummins
is to receive from President Roosevelt and
the other national republican leaders over
his tariff ideas, although 1t is pointed out
that the process has already begun By rea-
son of the tariff speeches of the President
which have not been in harmony with the
revision ideas of the young governor of
Iowa. Looking ahead to the failure Of the
republicans to satisfy the tariff revision
sentiment in existence among the republi-
cans of the northwest, democratic leaders
at least some of them, are beginning to lay
plans to catch the dissatisfied republican
mt fhn nj, %fD,,~ a.
does not suit this element In case this
element is placated by its party the demo-
Gratis want to go before the country on a
more conservative basis than before There
1ore they are trying to get opinion in the
party so arranged that moderate revision.
possibly reciprocity also, will be accepted
as a good doctrine. This is regarded by
shrewd men as being the only plan which
Will lead to possible success in the party
Is German Shaping This SentimentP
or still greater significance in connection
with this tendency to plant seed now and
reap certain kind of crop it is shown
that not many weeks ago number of the
congressional representatives of Virginia
came out for Judge Parker for President.
Representatives Hay, Lamb and Maynard
gave interviews for Parker, although say
ing that they understood that Senator Cor
man would not be candidate. Since these
interviews there has been a change in SEN
timent, and some of these Virginians are
now for German. Senator Martin is known
to be exceedingly friendly to Senator Cor
man, and Senator Daniel is said to look
the same way. Under these circumstances
there may be fitting together Of the
choice of Senator German and Of moderate
tariff revision. If Mr.. German is to permit
himself to be candidate he would natu-
rally prefer to have his friends shape SEN
timent for the kind of an issue he would
like to make the race on. With Virginia
for German and for moderate tariff reyis-
ion there is something for speculation Are
the friends of Senator German doing the
molding Of tariff sentiment, or is the choice
of German and revision of the tariff on
conservative lines mere coincident?
Three months ago Senator German is un-
derstood to have told Virginia friend that
because Of feeling In his own party
against him due to his course on the VIII
son tariff bill he did not believe he would
be the best man for the nomination for
President by his party. This however, was
three or four months ago. Things have
changed since then and the question is be-
ing asked, has Senator German also
changed opinion as to his candidacy for
the democratic nomination.?