Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-05-07
The Trend OF Democratic Sentiment.

The Trend of Democratic Sentiment.
The selection Of President Roosevelt as
The standard bearer of the Republican
party in the coming national campaign
having been practically settled, barring
unexpected and improbable developments
in connection with tho national political
situation, public interest naturally centres
in the democratic presidential prelimin-
| aries. One of the most significant signs
of the times in this connection is the
course of the Brooklyn Eagle in coming
out in double loaded editorial of over
column in length In favor of tho NOM
nation of Grover Cleveland by the dem
! ocratic national convention for the prcsi-
dency. This is all the more noteworthy
| in view of the fact that for number of
weeks previous the Eagle had been de-
voting n large amount of space to articles.
both original and quoted. written with the
evident intention of promoting the nom
nation of Judge Alton b. Parker as the
| standard bearer of the Democratic party.
The Eagle, which is an independent
| democratic journal. has never taken kind
~ to Bryan; and it not only opposed him
in his two presidential campaigns, but it
has also continued to puncture his politi-
| cal balloons at every opportunity. 1t has
noted with marked impatience the opposi-
| ton to the reorganization of the Demo-
cratic party manifested by the Nebraska
leader, and has used all sorts Of means
from the language OF the most gentle
persuasiveness to journalistic knock out
drops" in its endeavors to drive him
from his position Of political dog III the
manger, but all to no purpose. Bryan
has continued to read democratic leaders
out of the presidential available list with
a free hand, and with equal facility he
has created a new list of democratic
| eligibles
Whether the fact that the Nebrasl<an
Warwick omitted to raise any objection
to Judge Parker or whether some othc.
| consideration which has thus far no, APP
peared on the surface induced the VIZ, k
| lyn contemporary to drop its old love Cor
the new. certain it is that the Eaul7 has
! H., a
boldly proclaimed that Cleveland is The
only democrat who will have any chance
Of defeating Roosevelt
lnasmuch as under existing conditions
no man in the country, democrat or re-
publican. can probably beat President
Roosevelt. the Eagle seems to he safe
| when it takes the position that any dem
ocratic leader outside of Cleveland cannot
defeat him: and as the contemporary talks
on, it reflects thinly concealed tloubt
of even Clevelands ability to consummate
this feat. 1t recognizes the fact that the
contest is not an even one. as the re-
puhlicans are in power while the demo-
Gratis have been out of power for Il long
! time.
Some of its claims in behalf Of CloVc-
| land as compared with other democrats
it advances arc that he has taken no
| part in the mistakes which have cost tho
party public confidence and which have
| made for nearly every other democrat
of presidential size a vulnerable record
1t says the nomination of Cleveland
would end all qubblirg about recent or
| future platforms, as he would he his own
| platform. There would he no orgauizl-
ton with him rs the whole party centres
about him naturally.
There are not n few democrats " no sill
| take exception to what the Eagle says
about Cleveland. The statement that with
! hiin no platform will be needed, emphd-
sizes one of his greatest weaknesses. No
matter what tho democratic national plat.
form may say about the tariff, the people
will know that he is a tariff smashcr and
govern themselves accordingly.
The Eagle also finds itself on uncertain
ground when it is forced at the very
| outset to argue in favor of third term
for Cleveland; and it has left out of con-
sideration the weakness which Cleveland
will possess, when the white light OF
publicity is turned on his record in con-
nection with the trusts. Cleveland may
be the strongest democrat, but he will ho
even more hopclcssiy beaten than he was
when he before sought a third term at
the hands of tho American people