The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-02
Bryan Down, Cleveland Up.

OtCSOiidH.
 That is the significance of the Iowa Convention. It Is in the West that Bryan has his stronghold. It Is there. if any where, that must arise the forces which are to emphasize cheap money and free riot, as desired by Bryan, and subordi- nate tariff reform and honest money as desired by Cleveland. Iowa, moreover. has been more than most States directly under Bryan's influence. It has also been without such eminent gold-standard Democratic agents as Miller and Nor ton in Nebraska, Breckinridge and Mo- Creery in Kentucky, Villas and Bragg in Wisconsin. Cleveland boiled g per cent of the vote of Iowa in 1892. but Bryan 1900 he held a larger percentage of the popular vote than he did in such neigh boring States as Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota, Repudiation of Bryan in Iowa is certainly significant.
 Its effect will be to renew the zeal and redouble the efforts of those who look upon Cleveland's nomination as the wisest possible move for the Democratic party. And such 1t undoubtedly is It is doubtful whether Roosevelt can be beaten; but it is perfectly certain that if any Democrat can do 1t, Cleveland is that man. He is probably the only man strongest candidate for New Jersey and Connecticut, and it is at least doubtful If any other nominee could run so well in IRSiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. The w SSE VIII De fbO0SeNett He D6UlO- crat who wins must add gains in the East, with few votes from the Middle West, to the sure resource of the Solid South. The only hope of Democratic alienated in 1896. As they come in. Bryan votes will go out. But in general the losses through Bryan dsaffection will be in Republican States. and negligible, while the gains through Cleveland will be in doubtful States and of the highest value.
 The significance of Iowa's action lies in the fact that delegation from that State more favorable to Cleveland than to Bryan Is now among the distinct pos abilities. Now, if iowa should be for Cleveland, why not Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan. Minnesota, Indiana. Pennsyl- vania? And with so powerful a defec- tion from Bryan in the region where he triumphant march of already vigorous Cleveland sentiment in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and New England generally? The signs are unmistakable that the South inclines to act with New York, and neighboring States where Cleveland is strong, rather than collabo- rate with Bryan upon another defeat. We are inclined to draw from the Iowa episode. therefore. very material en- couragemeht for those who prefer a Cleveland man next time to a Bryan man; and among the Cleveland men there is no one whose following at all ap-
 
 Cleveland Behind German there is a certain cold admiration for political acu- men: behind Parker there Is a dispas- sionate appreciation of negative virtue: behind Olney there is a perfunctory rec ognition of merit. But behind Cleveland there Is a vigor, a hope, an esprit de corps. born of faith in the man and re- collection of two victories. which makes hfs cause alive while the rest are dead.
 From a Republican standpoint. Cleve- lands nomination Is not to be desired because 1t menaces Republican victory. But from an independent standpoint 1t Is greatly to be desired, The blighting in fiuence of elections, with which recent campaigns have made us familiar, might reasonably he expected to be absent in the event of two such nominations as Roosevelt and Cleveland. It is true that Republican appeal could and would be made. and justly, to the country against the dangers embodied in the return of the Democratic party to power. But the dangers we have recently dreaded would not alarm to any such extent as they did in 1896 or 1900 Property and order would feel safe under Cleveland as under Roose- welt; and we should not be obliged as nation, to blush at the spectacle of a po- litical mountebank, preaching financial heresy and class hatred, marshaling half the voters of the country behind him in an attempt to seize the Government in the name of boy oratory and debased currency. The news from Iowa is good