Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-07-17
NOT PARKER NOR GRAY.

us WdllluS ldCtlouS Aidy UNIV
with a possibility of victory in
1904. Many hoped Judge Park
er, of New York, would prove
to be the man. He recently
made tour of certain Southern
states, on pleasure bent, of course,
but he demonstrated the fact that
he is not the man qualified to
play the role of a political Moses
for the party. He is too much
of a judicial temperament. He
lacks enthusiasm, is "a human
icicle' and wholly fails to fill
the prime requisite in a demo
cratic candidate, ability to carry
a solid South. .''.-.' ..
Just now Judge Gray, of Dele
ware, is thought by many TO be
the man best fitted to lead the
democratic hosts to victory next
year. He is graduate of Jefer-
son College, Pa, and studied law
under the late Jeremiah S. Black.
He is a good, clean, upright
man with a most excellent record
as a judge. When a Pennsyl-
vanias judge it was in his court
the celebrated ''Molly MCGUIRE"
cases were tried and fourteen of
the miscreants successfully hang
ed. Recently he was chairman
of the anthracite coal strike COM
mission. He is pronounced
gold standard democrat and his
candidacy would doubtless be ac-
ceptable to the Cleveland wing of
the party. In several respects
he would represent Clevelandism
more satisfactorily than Grover
himself, and is, in fact, a much
abler man. He would represent
law, order, and property, and be
strongly conservative. For these
reasons alone he will not receive
the nomination of his party. He
would be almost as Objectionable
to Mr.. Bryan as Cleveland, and
to the populist element of the
party even more odieus.
R. E. Patterson, once demo
cratic governor of Pennsylvania,
a keen and ambitious politician,
declares Grover Cleveland can
not receive the nomination of his
party next year. He knows that
no man suspected of what is
known as ''Clevelandism'' could
be nominated or elected if placed
in nomination. w. J. Bryan
may not desire the nomination.
He, however, will either formu-
late the party platform and con-
troll The nomination or he will
lead such a powerful revolt as
will utterly destroy the party.
He declares that the republican
party is the party of plutoeracy.
He knows better. It is simply
his manner of saying that with
Grover Cleveland, or any similar
man leading the democratic
party, it would not be any more
entitled to the support of him
self and followers than the repub-
lican party would be. The Kan
sas City platform must be assert
ed and supported. It IS certain
that he would supplement it with
several things as undemocratic
and as unpalatable to old-time
democrats as the heresy Of free
coinage rs to I. 7a.ss
WilliamsJ. Bryan seeks to be
revenged onathe men who twice
wrought his~defeat. He is by
far more independent now of
party leaders than ever before.
His personal following has not
forsaken him. He is able, and
will surely lead the populist con-
tingent of the party into open,
active revolt. The: only chance
for democratic harmony is for
Conservative, old-line democrats
to dance the music set by Will
liam Jennings. They cannot do
this, and they will not. Not
Cleveland, nor Parker nor Gray,
nor any man such as their friends
would. support will receive Mr..
Bryan's, support. a..
It makes little difference.
The people have already indicat-!
ed whom they desire and will
support in 1904. In the mean
while democrats will be given
another period of four years to
accomplish party harmony.