The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-12
CLAY ON CANDIDArEs AND ISSUES.

Senator Clay is of the opinion that
the Democratic party should name a
| conservative man for President and
| adopt a conservative platform. In an
| interview. published in the Morning
| News yesterday. he said: I'VE want a
| conservative man for our nominee.
| but one can't say yet with any degree
of assurance what his name will be-.
| Senator Clay says that Senator Cor
man and Judge Parker are the men
most talked of in Georgia in connec-
| ton with the nomination, and that
while Judge Parker seemed to be the
favorite several weeks ago, Senator
German is, as far as he can deter
NINE the choice now.
Speaking of the declarations that
should be made in the platform Sena-
tor Clay is quoted as saying: Il real
ize that the time is at hand for us to
make a conservative platform on
which all the party can stand" He
still believes in the free and unlimited
coinage of silver but he would not
put anything in regard to the silver is
sue in the platform.
1t is very clear from the foregoing
that Senator Clay, however much he
may admire Mr.. Bryan, is not in sym
pathy with the latter's plans and pur-
poses. Like the great majority of
Democrats he wants to put aside dead
!ssues-issues on which the people have
passed and of which they have disap-
proved-and to put forward those in
which they are interested and which
will add strength to the ticket In 9TH
er words. believing that the party has
a chance to win the election In 1904 he
wants to make the most of that
chance.
And there is. no doubt that * the
Democrats put out the right sort of
ticket and platform they will have the
Republicans do not admit to be posi-
bic.
1t will be recalled that at the close
of Mr.. Clevelands first term he and
his friends thought he would carry the
country for a second term by an over
HldlOTlly. ne unexpected
happened. Gen. Harrison was elected.
And so 1t may be in the case of Mr..
Roosevelt. His friends are saying that
ne cannot be beaten by any Demo-
crat that can be named. There is an
excellent chance for them to be mis-
taken.
In this connection 1t is interesting
to notice that Mr.. Watterson, editor of
the Louisville Courier-Journal, brings
forward as a dark horse in the race
for the presidential nomination the
Hon. John w. Folk Of st. Louis. Mr.
Folk is the young prosecuting attor-
ney who has made himself known
throughout the country by his prose-
cution of the Doodle aldermen OF that
city. Mr.. Watterson speaks of him in
complimentary way and says:
Whether Mr.. Folk, himself Is anoth-
er Tilden, or even approximately up to
the presidential attitude, is a question
We have no means yet of deciding, but,
in the prevailing chaos, it is conceiva-
BILE that he may come to be in the
running even without a nomination and
election as Governor of Missouri. Mr..
Bryan had no such lead and backing
in 1896"
The fact that Mr.. Folk is mention
ed among the list of candidates for the
nomination sustains the position taken
by Senator Clay, that it is impossible
to predict with any degree Of certainty
who the nominee will be. A month
ago no one had thought of Mr.. Folk
in connection with the nomination. And
now we see him mentioned as a pos
sibility.