The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1904-07-16
H


ton OF the democracy in half
century. Nothing short Of a might.
purpose could have held it together
% With far slighter reason the democ
racy has gone all to pieces on man,
r occasions before. There was showT
at st Louis infinite patience, per
suasion, consideration, common pur
pose and brotherhood. There ha:
never been a convention in which al,
the parties at interest got so full and
so conslderate a hearing. In nc
other convention have such hard
battles been fought without leaving
scars. In no other convention have
considerations of personal triumph
been so completely subOrdinated to
party advantage,
1t early became apparent 10 the
convention that the South was in-
terested above all things in the race
question and intent only on defeating
Roosevelt. The North was interested
chiefly in the selection of a candidate
who would be safer and less a fire.
brand than Roosevelt. The single
gold standard was an issue with the
East only in the sense that the dele
gates believed it was possible for the
democrats to win on no other condi-
tion. The West wanted reafirma-
ton Of the platforms Of '96 and 1900
including the income tax issue. The
South believed that its interest lay
10 alignment with the North. The
East and West squared their accounts
by dropping both single standard and
income tax. This h%armonized the
convention, but it left the platform
without a financial plank and made
1t look co%wardly, These compromises
seemed to be Necessary to hold the
party together. Every body realized
that it would be impossible to make
the money question An issue of the
campaign. Everybody knew, too,
that Judge Parker was a gold stand.
ard man. The convention came very
near leaving "a very embarrassing situa-
tion on Judge Parker's hands. AS
soon as he got into the campaign
men would have demanded to know
what his financial views were since
his party had none.' He would have
been badgered for making a platform
for his party If he stated his views, {
aud with being a coward if be did l
not His telegram was in no sense q
dictatorial 1t gave the convention an
opportunity to say what it ought to
have found some occasion for saying .
anyhow, If it wanted Judge Parker ?
Tor it's candidate, that 'there was no Il
'eason why a man entertaining his u
financial views might not be the p
candidate and stand upon the d
'artY platform in this campaign It "
vas necessary to add this scholium in p
ustice to its candidate. The cues. e'
/ 81 Of money standard had been a III
'ery prominent one in the democratic "
campaigns In recent years. The con. u
'ention realized that it is no issue in p
his campaign and acknowledged 1t "
~ saying nothing about it. If it u
lad nominated Cockrell, Hearst, e
Daniels, Williams, Bailey or Is
Illlman on this platform no supple. p
nentary statement would have been d
necessary. But such statement was d
important after the convention had
dominated Judge Parker. 1t was
'nly justice to him. 1t cost the con. .
'ention nothing and will save Judge !
Parker an enormous amount of self d
Ieteuse. l
OF course after long, stormy Ses- !
ions when everybody seemed to have !
cached the limit of concession the =,
created excl ement and :
ONE hasty dissatisfaction. But for !,
he most part tie delegates realized :.
hat the sending Of the telegram was :
be act of a brave and conscientious =
nan, and that he was seeking from :,
be convention no more protection =
han it was its duty to give. =
Strange to say, the few people who
re dissatisfied with the action Of the
Il. Louis Convention are free silver q
Yet they prevented a gold P
tandard declaration, and the gold a
tandard candidate who was forced q
pom them was forced upon them by b
heir own friends and allies. The n
nomination would have been .,
lOrp az an embarrassment +bon