The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-03-18

An Aiabamian. who nas just returneu from a visit to New York City, consent ed to speak the other day to a represeh- tattve of The Advertiser in reference to the various presidential possibilities m the Democratic party. He presented the following analysis of the situation. AS the subject Is one of great popular lh- terest, The Advertiser gladly gives place to the statement as one view or the po- litical situation within the party. ,,,. At the outset" said this gentleman, II seems clear that there are two names which must be eliminated. Our two pres idential impossibilities are MT. Bryan and MT. Cleveland. l am of the opinion that MT. Bryan would run If he could, and that Mir. Cleveland could run If he would. But that is neither here nor there. The many earnest. loyal support CTS of MT. Bryan will justly object to any claims updh the party. and the critics Of MT. Bryan are sufficiently strong to pre- vent the candidacy of the Nebraskan. These two men are out Let us see who are in
 "The names most prominently before the country for the Democratic nomina- ton are Chief Judge Alton B. Parker of New York, David B. Hill of New 1ork' Edward M. Shepard of New York, Sena- tor German of Maryland and MT. Olney of Massachusetts.
 "Of these men, Mir. Olney is in many respects strong candidate. He IS man oe clean life. of great ability and of distinguished public service. But 1t Is generally felt that MT. Olney is too old to make a successful race, and l think 1t is now apparent that no Democrat, un-. der present conditions, can carry the State of Massachusetts. A man to be successful nominee, must have at least some prospect of carrying his own State. While Massachusetts and Ohio have vot- ed the Democratic ticket in times past, they are horelessly Republican today. hnh hos af1Hy Q political conditions in these two States can doubt that for at least twelve years they are squarely in the Republican col umn.
 This is also true. in part, of the pros poets of Senator German. His methods have divided his party in his own State. There was a Republican majority in the Maryland Congressional campaign which has just closed. and there Is positively no popular enthusiasm for him in the coun- try at large. He would lose heavily among the friends of MT. Cleveland, and the representatives of that element of the party, in the close States of the East. are power which cannot wisely be ig- l nored. It is probable that Senator Cor | man with the three other Senators from Havemeyer' had more to do with the fail ure of the Wilson bill in the Senate than any other one man. He has not support ed Mir. Bryan with much cordiality in ] either election and think he will not be- come beneficiary of the Nebraskan's | strength.
 Tt is evident that the real interest of | the Democratic party is centering, AS usual. around the possible candidates in New York. Everything is now pointing towards the nomination of a New York | CT for the first place on the ticket though | should like to see such a Southerner as l Governor Montague of Virginia in the second place. But New Yorker must have the first place because the Democ- l racy cannot win without the electoral vote of New York State. The Republi- cans can get along without New York. | We can't.
 Now, who is the strongest man in New York? So far as MT. Hill and Judge | Parker are concerned they are practi- | cally the same candidate. MT. Hills fa- tai error in the proposal of the famous socialistic coal plank in the State Dem- ocratic platform has. for the time being, | put him out of sight. But Judge Parker | and himself are the closest personal friends, and am sure that if 1t becomes | possible to seriously consider MT. Hill again. Judge Parker will quietly sub side and make MT. Hill the beneficiary of l his strength.
 Il have the highest regard for Judge | Parker; he Is man of clean life and | more than average abilities; yet in point
 of marked capacity he is the least able | of the men now under discussion. He l possesses. however, a good deal of per sonal tact, and his good sense may be de- | pS4lutu upOH. tHlnk HIS CIlIeI Valu6 as
 a candidate lies in the fact that nobody | has the slightest idea as to the nature | of his opinions upon any conceivable sub-
 1ect. He has not made any mistakes
 because nobody knows of anything that l he has either said or done.
 Tt Is usually assumed that he reversed | Mckinley'S majority of 100000 when he
 was elected to the bench by 5O,0OO majo
 ity. That Is altogether a mistake. His | actual vote was smaller than that given HTE4n ThrnnuFh n in hn
 aration of the Republican ticket. 90,0OC | Republican votes failed to land for his | opponent. or Judge Parker would not be | in his eminent position today. He has | filled this position with credit to himself
 and to the party; yet, as l have intimat- | ed, his political strength Is wholly mega
 tive. He has made no mistakes because
 he has made no moves. He Is hardly 6
 man of presidential timber
 You will gather from what have said
 that l am inclined, at present. to the
 opinion that the strongest candidate oi
 the party will be found in MT, Edward M
 Shepard of New York City. MT. Shep
 ard would have practically the united
 support of both the Bryan and the Cleve
 land factions of the party. MT. Bryan's 1 Nantasket speech was an open expression
 of friendship from the great Westerner | AS MT. Shepard was quite recently tn,
 New York, Tammany could hardly afford
 to do otherwise than cordially suppor
 him, although he Is a man of clean life
 and of the soundest party standards. Hi,
 defeat by the Low ticket was not due tC
 any failure of strength upon his part
 but to the revoltng rottenness of tho
 Tammany administration.
 | Conditions were such that no Demo
 crat could have been elected, or Mr. Shep
 ard would have won by a large majority
 His recent speech before the Jefferson
 ian Club of St. Louis Is a great deliv
 erance. marked by cogency in argument
 and style of incisive clearness anC
 force. He is not a man of negative
 traits. not merely a follower of superb
 clal tendencies, but a thinker and lead
 CT. I believe the time has come wheI
 the Democracy may well demand
 spokesman whose purpose is constructive
 and whose leadership will bring distinc
 tion and achievement to the party pro
 gram. Mir. Abram s. Hewitt frequent!
 referred to Mir Shepard as the first mai
 in America in the possession of politica
 genius of the ablest and strongest type
 MT. Shepard has no press bureau, an'
 he has prevented any exploitation of hi
 candidacy. I believe he would not be party to any effort to discredit others fo his own advantage, or to press his ow' l personality upon the consideration of tn