The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-08
NEW LEADERS
FOR DEMOCRATS
Better Times Are Looked for in the Party Under
the Changed Conditions

ana a SQuIlQ OeIIlO-
crat, but his error has been on the side
of timidity. while Mr.. Bailey's was on
the side of intolerant aggressiveness.
net result of all this has been that
the minority in the House has seemed
to perform its routine in a perfunctory
sort of way, which has given the Re
publican majority power to do practi-
cally everything it chose. In politics,
as in other walks of life, the tendency
to take an ell, when one is given an
inch, prevails; and the Republicans OF
the House have gone along doing ev-
erything they chose to do being met by
nothing more substantial than formal
protest.
The desire for an aggressive leader
ship, which will make the minority i'm
possible to be considered and reckoned
with is back of the determination to
choose as leader Mr.. John Sharpe Will
liams of Mississippi. Mr.. Williams is
man who has grown upon the House
very perceptibly He is a man of
splendid ability, well grounded in Dem
ocratic principles and extremely pop
ular with his colleagues. He proved
in the fight which marked the close of
Congress that he is aggressive, fearless
and forcible. He has inspired real
enthusiasm in his Democratic col
leagues. and it is believed that under
his leadership there will be harmony
of action and that the minority will get
back to the place it held under Crisp's
| leadership.
Democratic leadership has been lack
ing also in the Senate. 1t can be said
with truth that the lack of real minor
fraught in the Senate than in the
House, for in the Senate the minority
can, If properly handled, be most pow
erful. There is, therefore, undoubted
cause for rejoicing on the part of the
Democracy of the country at the re-
turn to. the Senate of Hon. Arthur
Pew German of Maryland.
When Senator German went out
four years ago, the leadership of the
minority by common consent went to
| Senator Jones of Arkansas, both on
| account of his long membership and
because of the prestige given him by
the membership of the Democratic Ma
! tional Committee. Senator Jones lead
ership has been of decidedly mega
tive character. The fact that he was
doomed to defeat at the hands of his
| party at home and perhaps the fact
that he aspired to appointment on his
retirement from the Senate have
seemed to detract from the aggressive
ness which was expected of him
] There has been dissatisfaction among
| the Democrats of the Senate for some
| time. A number of senators on the
minority side have urged Senator Ra-
/ con to assume the leadership. but so
| long as Senator Jones was nominal
leader 1t was irnpracticable for other
! senators to assume that relation to-
ward other members of the minority
The result is that things have been
going along in very disorganized
way.
BY common consent Senator German.
the most astute politician in his party
! and perhaps the ablest leader in Amer
lea, is to assume the leadership of the
Democratic minority in the new Con-
gress. 1t Is usual with senators who
return to membership in that body aft
er having been out for time that
they go to the bottom of the list, as il
were, and are not considered on an
other plane, except that of new MEM
bers. That is the duty which the Re-
publican senators insisted should be
I maintained toward Senator Clay after
he returned to the Senate from his
short season of inforced private life
but the Democrats do not intend to
permit personal jealousies or personal
aspiration TO operate against Senator
/ Gorinon so far as party leadership is
concerned. 1t is probable that the
! Maryland senator viii be given Just
! such committee assignments as he
chooses and 1t is certain that his DEM
ocratic colleagues will look TO him for
leadership in all party matters.
Both his personal popularity and the
conviction that he is very necessary 10
his party consplred TO make his well
come most sincere
Coincident with what might be call
ed the regeneration OF the party or
ganization In both branches of Con
gress, there comes "A demand on the
part OF a number of members OF the
Senate and House for closer relation
ship between the minority OF both
houses. MT. Newlands Of Nevada, IN