The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-01
THE 4AA-r NOT WASTED.

Nome days before MT Cleveland's en- nouncement that he would not accept a nomination for the Presidency. The Manchester CN. H.) Union had this appre- ciative language about him: ,s
 The attitude, of Cleveland as the possi- is no less emphatic, and everything goes to sustain his sincerity in 1t. His fre- quent mention is due more to the feeling eaS the Pay yPe the nent rathr than that he win be he man, He has been the candidate three times and twice elected; His high work as the na- thoroughly appreciated year after year. He has had all of the honor there can De fn the position. and may well feel that now so thoroughly enjoys. The Party will be making the most of its oppo tu- nity If It's convention selects a man of manly ability, conservatism, courage and integrity, and there Is no reason to feel that it cannot be done.
 Since he has made public his determin- ation not to be a candidate. we presume ed, however. disappointing it may be to the many thoughtful and faithful Demo- crats who sincerely regarded him as be- ing both the best and strongest man the Party could select. They do not need to change their opinion as to the desi ability of again having him for a leader, but they defer to his wishes. knowing that he deserves to enjoy in quiet his high reputation if he does not wish to again go before the people.
 Be that as 1t may, we agree with The Union, to some extent at least in its opinion that one of the strong reasons why he has been so often mentioned as the man of the hour is due to the feeling that he is the type of man that should lead the Party in the next campaign" While many, very many of the Demo- crats--The Advertiser among them-have advocated his nomination because he was the man they wanted to see selected. there were many others, equally earnest in their desire for a return of the Party to the old landmarks. who doubted the propriety of nominating him, or who, for various reasons, preferred some other good Democrat. These Democrats are just as anxious as we are for Demo- cratic success; and just as solicitous as we are for a sound and healthy Demo- cratic sentiment. but thought some other man would be more acceptable to the Party as a whole. and be more likely to unite the now discordant clements. They agreed with us as to the type of man wanted, and as to the kind of Democracy needed. but differed on the name of the candidate.
 Looking at it in this light, for whatever of disappointment we may feel over MT. Cleveland's determination. we are to some extent solaced by the knowledge that ad- vocacy of him has not been a waste of time. It has set Democrats to thinking; it has helped to draw their minds away from the failures and mistakes of the re- cent past and put them to looking seri- ously to the necessity of getting back to the road from which it strayed when it went on it's wild-goose chasing expedi- tion. Many Democrats. good men they were and are, can now see that the Bryan theory and movement was a serious mis- take, and the talk of Cleveland and his Kind of Democracy has turned their minds and their reflections into true Democratic channel. ,.e+,.
 And SO though we may not have the satisfaction of again seeing MT. Cleve- land President, we console ourselves with the reflection that all the talk of him as the candidate has had and will have a good effect. It will lead Democrats to the inevitable conclusion that only a man If his kind ca1 hope to succeed, and that not only must the Party choose a man of his class, but must adopt a platform upon which Mir. Cleveland himself would cared for the nomination. Advocacy of him may have been time wasted, so far as he is individually concerned, but the effect will be sood for the Party. never theless.
 In one respect MT Cleveland's determ- ination win do much good. With his name no longer a personal factor in Democratic politics, there should be little difficulty about getting together on old Party lines. Most Of the followers of MT. Bryan are agreed that he is no longer a possibility
  and that his financial theories are not now an issue. They are willing to abandon both, but the stumbling block in their path has been MT. Cleveland him. self. Their pride of opinion has pre- vented them from being willing to ac- cept him as a leader, and this feeling was so firmly fixed and so honestly felt that a great many of them would have hesitated about supporting him with any degree of heartiness. With that barrier removed. there should be no difficulty about agreeing on a man and a platform. Let us come together and elect Presi- dent. And now 1t Is given out that Pension Commissioner Ware intends to resign It is hard job he has. for if he isn't in