The Cairo bulletin., 1904-01-21
THE PRESIDENCY.

oguition; the "favoIite SON with his
local hustlers. his clubs. his drums
and his heralds. leading the van Of
Melodies. to be followed by ragtail
and bobtail. who may be able By
dint Of familiar advertising methods
to set their names in yellow type OF
to secure somewhere a marching band
of discordant music
The old idea of veneration seems
quite departed. Men are freely named
for president who have given no proof
Of their fitness for the most ordinary
functions. As to dignity Of charae,
ter and length of seryice-to say moth
Ing about approved fitness, and ability
-one would fancy such considerations
foreign to the subject so loosely hangs
the popular notion of possible candi-
dates. Yet. we used to boast that
no line of Kings could compare with
our succession OF presidents,
There are not wanting reasons for
this. More and more the last fifty
years has the question Of availability
played the foremost part in the nom
intaing convention As far back as
1899. in the Harrisburg Convention,
the selection of William Henry Harri-
son over Clay and Webster by the
Wings set the pace; to be followed by
nearly all the succeeding nominations;
by Polk, in 1874 Democrat, and Tay-
Tor, in 1915, Wing; then by Pierce,
Democrat. in 1852; and, in our own
time, by such successful makeshifts
as Hays. and Garfield, and Harrison,
by the Republicans, and Cleveland,
when he was first nominated, by the
Democrats. Bryan seems to have
been the only snapshot who was de-
feated.
Each of these nominations was
more or less surprise to the coun
try and all Of them were experiments.
taken haphazard. without any ade-
quate reflection and with no forecast
or deliberation.
The very office of the president has
fallen in the esteem equally Of the
needless and cynical In 1913, Frank
lin Pierce was literally dragged out
II Washington ny his friends to keep
lil som gling to hell entirely In
1853, nothing having happened during
the interval to bring him to public
notice except his nomination in 1852,
he came back as president In 1878,
Chester A. Arthur was removed from
The Colleetorship from the Port of
New York. under charges, by his own
party Three years later he took the
oath as president. In 1879, Grover
Cleveland. sheriff Of Erie county,
stood upon the gallows and with his
own hands hanged two malefactors.
In 1885 he entered the White House
In 1898. Theodore Roosevelt was AS
sistant Secretary Of the Navy, SUI
coordinate in a subordinate department
politically a cul De sac. leading no
whore. These things lower the pop
uar conception of the Chief Magis
tracy. In some ways they account foI
the prevailing levity by which it is
coming to be regarded
In the approaching struggle the
Democratic party cannot give better
proof of its fitness to govern the coun
try or offer surer hostage to public
opinion and fortune, than by sternll
eliminating from its consideration thu
trivial and meretricious. It's Nation
al Convention should not be allowe'
to be made a circus ring for the dis
play of trick ponies. Never did
party more urgently need, not onl,
to have its wits about 1t. but to draw
around it the folds of its respect
bility. We can afford no nonsense
We should in the very outset plan
ourselves firmly upon high and soli'
ground, put our feet upon rant. can
and noise. consider deeply the re
sponsibility resting upon us and th'
1 opportunity opening before MS and
/ comprehendine that the result rest
with Ourselves. name standardbear
er we shall have no occasion efthe
to introduce or to excuse With sucl
? nominee. known ard honored Of al
men. on a platform broad enough t
invite all Democrats and to embracf
all patriots. We shall sweep the coun
try. In other words. if we are tru'
to ourselves. we shall carry the cleo
/ ton. If We are not--for any cause
we shall lose it.
We are often told that we live II
the day OF small politics and small
politicians. It may be so Certainly
the older men who gave toni
and distinction to the party councili
have measurably passed off tbs
scene But are there NO young mel
Of the ike calibre to take their places
/ Surely let Us hope 50. Il there b