The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-02
DEMOCRATIC HOPES
SHEPARD'S, PARKERS AND
 HILLS CHANGES IN 1904
Bryan's Influence on Result-Nebras- kan is Supposed to Have Most
 Friendly Feeling for Brooklyn Man of the Three.

Brooklyn Eagle.
 Some preliminary discussion Is going on among Democrats as to the probable ac- ton of New York in the Presidential campaign of 1904
 Democratic leaders have not yet entire ly recovered from the shock of the November defeat in this State. There would win. Presidential calculations matured last fall were based on that conviction. The defeat has admittedly thrown the Democracy into state of considerable Encouragement and neces- sltated a revision of plans to meet the altered conditions.
 In some places New York Is still ex- pected to furnish the Presidential candi- date. Leaders of importance in national politics declare, however, that the de- feat of the party in New York eliminated the state from the Presldent-making situation.
 Those who still expect New York to furnish the candidate suggest the names of Chief Judge Alton B. Parker of Kingston, Edward M. Shepard of Brook lyn and David B. Hill of Albany as possibilities from which the selection may be made.
 Upon the theory that no New York man will be chosen. the friends of Will liam Jennings Bryan of Nebraska, ex- Governor Stone of Missouri, ex-Secretary Richard Olney tof Massachusetts, ex- President Cleveland of New Jersey and other Democratic statesmen of rank are insinuating their claims into the discus sion.
 No politician iG at this time willing to prophecy which faction of the Democratic party will be in the ascendant Tn 1904. unsettled. A victory in New York would have had the effect according to we'll established belief, of restoring the Democracy to the equilibrium which 1t l.aN A.r AL LA aw-k in 1S96 At that time New York, New Jersey and Connecticut were debatable ground. Since MT. Bryans rise in De- mocracy these States have been reliably Republican The party re-organizers assert that they must be brought again into the Democratic column before the country can be carried. Failure in New York, with the reorganizers in control, has disheartened the Democrats who con- tend that the party must look to New York for its next candidate, and injected new life into the Bryan element. It thus happens that the Democratic situation. nationally Nonsidered Is identical with that in which Ar. Bryans second defeat left 1t two years ago
 MT. Bryan has announced that he will not be a candidate for the nomination In 1904. 1t is to be expected, however, that he will exert his influence against the policies suggested by the re-organ- izers and the men whom they put for ward. It has this early in the discus sion of Democratic probabilities become apparant that the Bryan wing of the party will oppose the rehabilitation of the Cleveland principle of Democracy, and that vigorous opposition will be of- fered to the candidacy of any man of the Cleveland school Suggestions of Cleveland, or Olney, or Hill as the can didate have been rejected with impartial vigor by Bryan men.
 Since 1ss6 the feud between Bryan and Hill has greatly increased in bitterness. Foreseineg the endorsements to arise from Bryan's continued antagonism Hill sought to allay it during the recent cam paign. In several of his speeches he re- ferred. to Bryan in complimentary terms, and his state platform eulogized the Ne braska orator. That Mir. Bryan's enm ty was not in any degree lessened by this course is shown by the fiaying ad- ministered to Hill since the election by BryaRs newspaper, The Commoner. Hills apparent alliance with the Cleve- land element has more than neutralized his professions of friendliness toward Bryan. Democratic leaders who are close to Bryan say that such thing as Hills nomination for the presidency would drive Bryan out of the party, and with him a million or more of voters to whom Bryan has been an idol during the past six years.
 Bryan's mantle, according to some of the wise ones is more likely to fall on Edward M Shepard than any other Eastern Democrat
 To support this theory, incidents of the past two years which appear to indicate Bryan-Shepard alliance are now being talked about MT. shepard, 1t is recall ed, without modifying the views on the monetary question which took him out of the party in 1896. supported MT. Bry- ans candidacy for President m ISV9 During that campaign a warm personal friendship developed between the two men. It continued during the ensuing year and had something to do with Mir Shepards re-establishment as "regu- lar'' in the City Democracy and his nomi- nation for the office of mayor.
 Early this year MT. Shepard made pilgrimage to the West His purpose was said to be to meet MT. Bryan for con afterward filed as to the meeting with Mir. Bryan. but while Mir. Shepard was in St. Louis he met many prominent