Gloucester County Democrat., 1903-08-20
Especial Washington letter.

after the election, | happened
to be in Kansas City. The re-
porters came around for an inter-
view AS there wasn't much to say
about the election except that we had
we're than that of two years before, |
discussed possible and probable Demo
cratic candidates for the presidential
nomination. Among other things de-
ciared that General Francis Marion
Cockrell would make a tiptop candi-
date and would poll the entire Demo
cratic strength of the country. 1t was
rather an elaborate interview, and l
stated my reasons for believing he
would make a strong candidate. My
nomination of the senator at that time
attracted very little attention. The
only comment l recollect was in the
Washington Post, which suggested
that maybe l wanted his seat in the
senate, an inexcusable piece of malice,
for I stated in the aforesaid interview
that / was in favor of his unanimous
reelection to the senate in the event
of his defeat for the presidency. To
all such filings as that made by the
Post the proper answer is the old
motto, "Honi soft qui NAL y pense"
(''Evil to him who evil thinks'D. Now
people are falling over each other
in their eagerness to be known as the
original Cockrell man. Out in Mis-
souri, the men who are now for Cock
rell for president are as the sands upon
the seashore and the stars of the
heaven. Even the Chicago Chronicle
has walked up to the possibilities in
the Cockrell case and has sent one of
its staff correspondents to Missouri to
get the exact lay of the land. sup
pose it must be accepted that my sug
gestion of Cockrell for the presidency
nearly year ago was not such bad
shot after all. 1t was perhaps prema-
ture by something like ten months. 1t
seems now to be agreed by multi
tude of people that president Cock
rell'' would sound very well to the
American Democratic ear. There is no
good reason why Missouri, the stron-
gest and most reliable Democratic
btdtO Al lAC O1A1OLy oAO1A0 NdhC q OaNR
seat.
That General Cockrell would make
capable president there is no doubt.
He has served twenty eight years in
the United States senate and has
achieved very high standing in that
body. He was very strong silver
man, for which reason the Bryan con-
tingent would support him with en-
thusiasm; he is exceedingly conserva-
tive, for which reason the business in
terests would not fear him. His serv-
ice as a gallant officer in the Confed-
crate army, which would have been
bar to his candidacy ten years ago, in
this era of good feeling would prove
good help. A Union veteran has much
respect for Confederate veteran who
brayely fought during the war for
what he believed to be right and who
quit fighting when the war was over.
His liberality ON the subject of pen
sions would also help him with the old
Union soldier. In his private life he
is absolutely above reproach. If NOM
mated, In all human probability he
would be elected; but defeat would not
hurt him a particle. No one can defeat
him for the senate whether he runs for
president or not If he will consent to
run for president and should be de-
allow any one to oppose his reelection
to the senate. The zone gallus" fellows
at the forks Of the creek would see to
that, with the hearty cooperation Of
the majority of the other people. The
surest way for a senatorial aspirant to
fall into pit of his own digging would
be to start an intrigue to slip into
CockrelIs seat in the senate while he
is candidate for the presidency. 1t
Is easy for newspaper a thousand
miles from Missouri to get up cock and
bull stories as to why the people of
Missouri are supporting Cockrell for
the presidency.
Another Richmond.
There is another Democratic presi-
dental Richmond In the field in the
person of Hon. George Gray of Della
ware, who was for many years lead
ing member of the senate of the United
States and who is now on the federal
circuit bench. In the senate Judge
Gray succeeded Hon. Thomas f. Bay
ard, who resigned to be secretary of
tion and who was ambassador to the
court of st. James during Cleveland's
second administration. One would
travel long and far before discovering
finer specimen of mental and phys
ical manhood than Is Judge Gray The
first time | ever saw him was at the
Tilden convention at ST. Louis in 1876,
when and where | was merely an in
tensely interested locker on in Vienna.
Judge Gray placed Senator Bayard in
nomination for the presidency He was
then In the bloom of splendid man
hood and attracted universal attention
by the grandeur of his physique and
the excellence of his speech. From
that day to this he has been growing
man and has kept himself well in the
public eye. President Mckinley ap-
pointed him as one of the peace COM
missioners who negotiated the Paris
treaty at the close of the Spanish war,
and subsequently appointed him
United States circuit judge. President
Roosevelt appointed him a commits
sioner to aid in settling the anthracite
coal strike last year, the difficult and
delicate duties of which position he dig
charged with such success that he won
the hearts of the miners. They have
made up their minds to advocate him
for the presidency OF course Della
ware has very small influence in the
electoral college She has only three
electoral votes, but that matters very
little If the labor unions support
Judge Gray for the nomination with
anything like unanimity he will get 1t,
and If he is nominated and the labor
unions support him with anything like
unanimity at the polls he will be elect
ed Consequently his prospects of land
ing In the White House are by no man.
ner Of means to be sneezed at. That
he would bring to that exalted position
character and capacity Of high order
every well informed person will con-
cede. Judge Gray's prospects in life
are cheerful.
choate Stops Over.
Hon. Joseph Fl. Choate, wit, lawyer,
L L L.