The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-21

/ As
 4 States is not poverty stricken in
 material for the nomination for President next year, says the Gin cinnati Enquirer Current develop ments in politics have brought so many fit democrats to the front that the republican pleasantries. about the scarcity of requisite statesman ship have lost their point. and the sting has been drawn from the sareasms of the enthroned opposition. The merits of many strong possibilities have been amply discussed ill fair-minded journals with conclusions honorable to nearly all of them. Democratic candidates have come and gone. and sorae of them are still moving up and dowr in the public balance; but in all -n, mutations of spec uation and discussion the democratic eye of the country is never more than mo- mentarily ayerted from one of the strong est central figures of the politics of the times.
 His name is Arthur P. German, and his state is Maryland; but he has been too long a masterful man of affairs. with long and sturdy record that Is subject to only captious attack, that he belongs to the union rather than to state. His achievements, both as a party man and framer of policies and as an active, commanding factor Tn the prac- tical affairs of the government. have made him national man. iie Is not only an enduring star in the democratic firmament but he has the resrcet and even the admiration of all fair repuh- licans he has come in contact with through his public life, or through lis unassuming but charming personal dual- ities His unremitting devotion to his party tenets and obligations has not kept hm from meeting broad men cn the other side on high planes where party fealty must hang loosely on the shoul- ders of the true statesman.
 MT. German is a safe man. Not mere ly one who would undertake to give security to the country through a policy of timidty, inertness or overcaution, but one who would be aggressive and steady for rational improvement, and ever hos tile to sentationalism and risk. He IS the ideal of those original democrats who have survived many storms of fadism' and heresy. and who are still devoted to the prime principle of simplicity in gov ernment He does not believe in going further in government than the purposes for which government was instituted among men. He is a well-balanced man, with clear understanding of the re1a- tions of the various conditions and occu- pations of the community. He knows how to foster each interest without crip- bling or destroying any other; or, at least, he comes as near to such high philosopie and judicial quality as is pos sible in the ardinary human comprehen- sion. He would be a safe man for all He would conserve the interests of the manufacturer as well as the interests of those who sell tue manufacturers pro- duct, and he would be equally keen and alert in considering the rights and ne- cessities of the great body of consumers
 He would not be the candidate or the President of a single idea" He would not be the leader of movement to break down one section of the people to grat- fly the vengeful spirit of another sec tioiis ii1b iAS tiiC POWOA lit oOhAo iOh burn custom houses to oblige the radical free traders, nor would he permit the revenue instrumentality of the consti- tuition to create monopolies and construct dead lines between the rich and the poor. Labor and capital, in so far as govern ment may be influential in their affairs, could find no better arbiter. No man would have a higher sense of the honor of the country in it's relations with the nations of the world and no man would be further from "iingoism' and senseless war. He would be the sage and patriot, rather than "the man on horseback" He would be a constant illustration of the inter-dependence of enterprise brains and brawn, and would get as near as any man could to harmonious relations among all the constituent parts of pros- perity.
 MT. German is not a newcomer on the political stage He is @ tried man. He has a long and splendid career in the senate of the United States. He has been an originator, leader and a framer of public policies in that great body, even