The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-05-03
MIR. BRYAN SHOULD EXPLAIN.

In his speech at Chicago. a week ago
last Saturday, Mr.. Bryan said:
Judge Parker is not a fit man to be
nominated either by the Democratic
party or any other party that stands
for honest or fair dealing in politics"
| In 1900, according to a recent interview
with ]. T.. Woods Merrill, Of Kansas
City. he said: Il consider Judge
Parker an able, conscientious and
energetic statesman, broad minded and
! full of progressive ideas"
Which is Mr.. Bryan's opinion Of
Judge Parker, that which he ex-
| pressed in his Chicago speech or that
which he expressed TO Mr.. Merrill?
He ought to enlghten the public.
There is certainly reason why he
should make an explanation.
In a special dispatch to the New
York World from Kansas City, it is
stated that Mr.. Merrill is a close
friend of Mr.. Bryan, and in 1896 and
1900 was among his staunchest sup
porters. He was chairman of the FL
nance Committee of Jackson county,
and all through those campaigns was
in close communication with Mr..
Bryan.
Some time before the meeting of the
Kansas City convention in 1900 Mr..
Bryan, according to Mr.. Merrill, was
anxious to have Judge Parker on the
ticket with him. He said to Mr.. Mer-
rill: with Judge Parker we would
be sure of New York, Connecticut and
New jersey" and he asked Mr.. Mer-
ril to push the Parker movement. In
Mr.. Merrill telegraphed to Judge Par
ker asking him to accept the second
place on the ticket with Mr.. Bryan.
In response Judge Parker telegraphed
that he had no ambition whatever for
either executive or legislative Office.
1t seems he was then, as he is now,
satisfied with the high judicial office
which he holds. He has consented to
be a candidate for the nomination for
President only because of the extra
ordinary pressure that has been
brought to bear upon him TO permit
his name to go before the st. Louis
convention.
Mr.. Merrill says that Mr.. Bryan did
not say a word against Judge Parker
until after Mr.. Cleveland voluntarily
said he thought the nomination of
Judge Parker would be a good one.
Apparently Mr.. Bryan has made up
his mind not to approve of any candi-
date that has the approval of Mr..
Cleveland. In other words, he doesn't
intend, if he can help it. that there
shall be harmony in the Democratic
party. 1t looks as If he were deter
mined to smash the Democratic party
rather than permit any of those who
didn't give him a hearty support in
1896 and 1900 to have anything to say
in its affairs. ....-
But how is Mr.. Bryan going to
satisfy his fellow Democrats that
Judge Parker is not a fit man to be
nominated for President? He thought
he was a fit man to be nominated for
Vice President in 1900, and if he was
fit to be nominated then why isn't he
fit to be nominated now? Judge Par
ker is the same 'ableg conscientious
and energetic statesman" now that
he was then. His political views have
not undergone any radical change.
Mr.. Bryan has no fault to find with
anything he has said or done since
1900. AS far as the public is able to
observe Mr.. Bryan thinks Judge Par
ker is not fit man to nominate SIM
ply because Mr.. Cleveland, Mr.. Hill
and some other Democrats whom Mr..
Bryan doesn't like. favor his nominal
ton.
This being the case, is Mr.. Bryan a
good man to follow? Is he not show
ing willingness to wreck the Demo
cratic party out of spite?
If the Democratic party is to win
the presidential election 1t must be
harmonious. Its factions must get to-
gether. 1t is evident that there is no
pletely unite the factions as Judge
Parker can. Still, Mr.. Bryan is
against him, because the leaders of
one of the factions favors his nomlna-
tion. Is 1t not about time for the
Democratic party to say to Mr.. Bryan
that it has had enough of him, and
that it will not pay any attention to
his wishes in future?