The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-09-05
THE SOUTH AND THE PRESIDENCY

THE SOUTH AND THE PRESIDENCY.
There WAS Il poll recently made by
the chairman of the state democratic
committee of Tennessee of some five
hundred prominent democrats of that
state. The poll was made for the pur-
pose of ascertaining their choice of
candidates for the democratic nomin;l-
ton for the presidency in 1904. The
result was that out of jO2 representa-
tive democrats of Tennessee :5224 We're
for Judge Parker, 100 for Bryan. - for
Senator German. . for eN-President
Cleveland and for David Il. HILL
While straw votes are usually made
for the purpose of influencing public
opinion and consequently take on the
aspect desired by the one who is in
strumental in having the poll made
yet in this particular instance there
is no reason to believe that the poll is
not the honest preference of repre-
HNhAoAiNS h'oulllSlll AAS NcI
there is no one working for the NOM
nation and consequently there could
have been no object in making up Il
poll for the purpose of influencing opin-
ion. The poll shows two things: first.
that the democrats of the South will
he in favor of nominating some candi-
u to, 81
no matter whether he is popular in the
South or not: second. that Mr.. Bryan
is still IL popular man in the South
The Southern democrat is better
politician than his Northern brother.
The South will always support that
democrat for nomination who stands
the best chance of election. Demo-
crafts in the South could, if they wish
ed, have forced the nominate of some
Southern man for president since the
war. but they have never asked for
that result, knowing we'll that no
Southern man could be elected. The
South was for Buchanan in 1856 be-
cause it believed that he could carry
Pennsylvania. which was believed
necessary for democratic success. The
South did not love Buchanan. He was
Il man without any personal magnet
ism and of cold disposition. The
South was for Tilden in 1876. and he
WAS an iceberg. The South supported
Cleveland in 1854. and no one ever
claimed that he possessed any charm
ing personal qualities. But the South
believed Tilden could carry New York
and Indiana in 1876 and they We're
not mistaken. They knew if he could
do that lie would be elected. He was
elected. but the presidency was stolen.
They thought Cleveland had the best
chance to carry New York in 1884
because of the fact that he carried
the state in 1882 for governor by al
most 100000 majority. He did carry
New York and with it Indiana. New
was for Cleveland in 1892, although he
was then personally unpopular in the
South and WAS opposed by David 3.
Hill. who had said, II am Il Democrat"
and that he had rendered the atlnos-
phere of the state house ut Albany
such that none but Il democrat could
breathe it and live This is the kind
of Il democrat that is naturally popular
in the South. vet tho South believed
Cleveland could control more votes
in the North and they nominated
Cleveland. In 1896 the democratic
party was diSor%aniZed and in despair
of being able to elect it's candidate and
the South threw politics to the wind
and voted for a popular and magnetic
man. Mr.. Bryan was badly defeated.
In 1900 the democratic party was torn
into factions, the South followed IL man
popular in the South. The democratic
party now shows signs of returning
life. If it should appear at the time
of the democratic convention next
summer that the democrats stand Il
good chance of eecting their mai.
provided Il wise choice of candidates
is made the South will be for the
man who can be elected, no matter
whether he is personally popular in
the South or not. 1t means much more
to the Southern democrat to have Il
democratic president than it does to
the Northern democrat. 1t is only un-
der Il democratic administration that
tho South takes any part in the affairs
of the government. This is because
there is only one party in the South.
There is no republican party in the
South worth mentioning. The renewal
of the negro question will make the
South all the more anxious TO elect IL
democratic president. IT the Northern
democrats will only lay aside their
past differences and endeavor to get
together on issues and Il candidate,
the South may be depended upon to
support the right kind of a candidate.
An Argument for Imperialism.
One of the Protestant missionary
societies not long ago issued and cir