The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-21
MR. DE LEON TALKS IF MASS. ELECTION ]. Says Douglas Victory Was
 Due to His Personality HANDS TIED IN LEGISLATION  He Says the Election of Roosevelt Had Been Conceded In Massa-
 chusetts, and Only Argu-
 ment Was Majority.
HANDS TIED IN LEGISLATION

T. c. De Leon, the well known author, has been .n the city for a day or two, as the gu est of the Rev. Quincy Ewing. He spent the past summer in Massa- chusetts and was in Boston during the election. Asked of the feeling there on the result, MT. De Leon said
 Practically there was no feeling. The result had been fully discounted, not only in Massachusetts, but over the entire country-save possibly in some sections of the south. In Massachusetts the elee- ton of MT. Roosevelt was conceded far in advance, and the only doubt was whether his majorities in the popular vote and n the electoral college would or would not exceed MeKinley's in 1900 Regarding the election of Governor Doug las, MT. De Leon said:
 About Governor Douglas.
 "It was not a great surprise to all men, either in the democratic or repuphcan inner circles. The earth hath bubbles as the water hath, and these are or them. It was personal and not polit- ieal victory. In very fact Mir. Douglas may be considered the honorary governor of the Bay state; complimentary, rath- CT than an active executive He cannot initiate legislation, or prevent by veto' save for constitutional cause, so wholly Is the government in the hands of the republicans. The lieutenant governor Is Gen. Curtis Guild, for the third term; and the state officers and governor council are unanimously republican. It needs but glance at the state majority 10 show that the Douglas election was a personal and not a political triumph. The reasons for 1t are many. One is the rersonal popularity of the candidate He Is a reprentatlye working man. having risen direct from the bench to the largest employment of labor in his line, in all his section. He was known to be a clear headed and fair minded business man. honest, frank and an all round good fellow
 LaborIna Men His Friends.
 MT. Douglas was stronger than any man in his state perhaps, with the work ing classes and the labor unions, for he had never had-in all his employing en. terprises, even the threat of a strike Finally, the republicans were not afraid of him, either on his personal account or because any possible power he would have to control legislation, in the fac' of the great legislative and state of1cia majority. sure to follow his election t
 
 the executive chair
 Asked if these conditions had not beel duplicated before. MT. De Leon answered
 Not at all. Governor Russell's cleo ton was largely personal one. and wal surrounded by somewhat the same re publican safeguards as thls one. Bu Russell was emphatically a politician and a worker with the masses. He wal personally known to most of them an' hail fellow well met with friends an' opponents. But he was elected-and witl fled hands to almost equal extent-un der rather different conditions
 Governor Bates, who beat Col. VII liam A. Gaston for the two previou terms, had earned unpopularity with tn masses of his state by veto of at leas one bill. Some of his earnest supporter felt his possible defeat and coneede' Douglas the largest democratic vote pollet in three decades. Oh, yes he received Ia more votes than Governor Russell. This I imagine. was for three reasons; Hi personal hold on the labor vote, his tre mendous hold on the press, through ad vertising running to nearly s100,000 an nually; and no little to Colonel Gas tons vigorous and effective campaign o the two previous years. That had helt the party in line. and given Douglas thu springboard for his flyer from the bencl to the executive chair, in one of the mos conservative states of the union." Why Gaston Did Not Run.
 You ask why Gaston did not rui again. He was strongly urged, but con sistently declined. Some of his friend think he lost the great opportunity 0 his life; others do not. His majority woul have had to change at least 100000 Roose welt votes. This Douglas did for the req sons briefly given; but 1t is safe to sa that no other man in his state ccul have done so. Gastons first canvas | brought him more votes than electe I Governor Russell. His last poll adde nearly 5000 to the one of the year pre- vious But that would have fallen ia short of the tremendous scratching tha 1 Douglas labor record-plus Governo Bates constitutional unpopularity, put O | the republican ballot-head.'