The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-04-04
AN ANALYSIS OF GoRMAN.

There are several legends that have their abiding place in Washington. One of these is the German legend, which is sedulously encouraged by a number of Washington correspondents. This legend is to the purport that Sen- ator German is wonderful political leader, in fact, without a peer. The ac- tion of the democratic caucus in elect ing him the party leader in the senate bodes something terrible to republicans in general and to President Roosevelt in particular, we are told. Specifica- tions in support of this allegation are lacking. They cannot be supplied by mere shakings of the head. If the reel. tai of any achievement in support Of the claim of greatness for MT. German is attempted it invariably runs back to almost twenty years ago, when MT. German was the ostensible director of Mir. CleveIand's first campaign. Noth- ing since that time can be cited that differentiates Mir. German as a cam paign manager from ex-Senator Jones, a man in many ways his superior. Considering how near Mir. Cleveland came to defeat in 1884, the German leadership of that year was not so re- markable as the admirers of the Mary land senator would have us think
 If the claim for great ability for MT. German be subjected to the test of his career in the senate, it cannot be any thing but the subject of explanation by his admirers. It was under his inf1u- ence that the Wilson tariff bill was Gormanized; made so bad that MT. Cleveland would not sign it. It became the most odious of tariffs to the coun- try, and for this German was more re- sponsible than any other democratic senator To the democratic party it was crushing load to carry in the next presidential race. The answer to its enactment was a series of republi- can landslides in 1894 that left the 1 Cleveland administration in 8 plight that moved the sympathy of even it's stoutest opponents. The Wilson-Gor- man tariff held in line for the republi- cans thousands of voters who without 1 it might have yielded to the blandish- ments of MT. Bryan. MT. German is 8 believer in the expedient, and as such, g. | maker of compromises to order. but in 1 this instance his belief in expediency over-reached itself. He shared the fate of the democracy and went down with it. became one of the has beens.'' and whether he will regain his. old-time prestige with his party when tried by 1 the new conditions that have arisen since his previous service in the senate remains to be demonstrated. New is- sues demand new methods: and MT. | German has but one-expediency. His position would be difficult for a very much stronger man. JAS the time when | if the democratic party is ever to be- come a valuable opposition 1t must gel together, he is neither a Bryan man nol a gold-standard advocate. It would be characteristic oe him to recommend that the gold standard be made forty per cent. silver. Ready to sacrifice ey- erything to expediency, he cannot turr down one element of the democracy without mortally offending the other Yet his talents are very considerable but their limitations are exceedingly close. He is City boss sublimated | He is not the Moses to lead a party torn with dissensions and constantly looking backward into the promised land. Still the prediction comes iron Washington correspondents that he vii do great things for the democracy This prediction is largely influenced b! MT. Germans personal popularity il Washington. He has smooth. smil
 ing suavity that makes him friends that induces even his critics to admi
 that he is, personally, a good fellow There is something about him that sug
 gests the ecclesiastic, both in appear
 ance and manner; and. oddly enough il a man who has no fixed belief beyond the day, a propagandist.--Bos Tran script.
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