The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-02
repeated victories and wrestling his state out of the column of reliable Republican New Eurlan6 afataa t

n . . a
 repeated victories and wrestling his State
 out Of; the column of reliable Republican New England States. ', s... < ,S, f,i,s
 The superior character. of Judge Gray, of Delaware, causes the party in that
 State to cling to him and extoll him, hop
 ing that the country will come to know him and value him likewise. Former Governor Patison, Is Penhsylvanias "fa- vorite son." Senator cockrell is Missou-
 ri's. and Representative James R. Wil- Hams is 50 favored, by. Illinois. .f}f. The moment a man of distinction is seen as q ..sfavorite son'' Of his. State he is just where his nsighbors have placed him and whence they have no san guine hopes of advancement for him. His boom usually bubbles out on the first ballot by the convention
 The majority of Democrats in and out of public life ,who come to Washington, have a natural impulsive or polite first choice for President. But .,ifsthe first choice of these were polled 1t would result without reliable, indication as to any final general choice, SO varied indeed are the preferences expressed that may be noted. In every group of Democrats, large or small, which discusses the Democratic national ticket, the conversational can- yassing almost invariably concludes to | this effect: t t- Depends on New York.
 | After all 1t depends upon, New York what the Democrats of New York State want.
 ! lief in all Democratic quarters that the | Empire State Democracy can and will furnish the candidate who will lead the party to victorious restoration of power. ~ r~ -~f
 In. Washington, as we'll as throughout l the country as it Is reported here, Demo l crats seem genuinely to feel that victory
 is in the. air for them. The recent l tremendous capture of Greater New York,
 routing a fusion of independents and, Re- | publicans and Democrats, with the last
 named ready to renew their. allegiance on national issues. has drawn the gaze of
 the party everywhere toward that old time citadel of Democratic power, and the banners they see on its. walls bear such I legends as augur of national triumph soen, to come. | With the Democrats who. have been, in Washington within the past six months | and who are. here at this writing the
 most salient question is what Is New York going to do? '.''' ''-'-~ ''''s.
 W1ii the Democrats. of that State give | to the party for it's standerd bearer the only man who brought his party in his
 own State out of the overwhelming wreclxs of defeats which ensued after | 1Se6-Judge Alton B. Parker, of the Supreme Court of Appeals of the State;
 the New York Democrat who was never
 beaten at the polls; the honored Eastern Democrat whose party loyalty was never
 shaken by candidates nor platform from | his youth to his present superb maturity -or will. 1t be some other?
 l Points to Parker.
 | That fs fha nlain c0nsensiie of the in- quiry that for months and months has
 been coursing through the minds or | Democrats. It has grown from signi- ficant fact, and that is that of all the can
 didates yet discussed Judge Parker. in the minds of most Democrats, ! occupies the best position be- fore the Democracy .of. the country; that 1 he Is the most available: that he has nothing about him that need be defend I ed: that he suggests no objections that
 may not easily be explained away; that he improves upon acquaintance; that he l has not an equal In the qualities that are | essential to assuring party unity. which 1 will embrace all factions in all sections 1 of the Union; finally. that while in the minds of thousands and thousands of
 thoughtful leading Democrats, represent
 ing every part of the country. he Is their first choice, he Is not out of the minds | of any as second choice '
 A few days ago. The New York Times
 gave, more than a page to correspondence from every State, reporting what appear ed to be the local preference of Demo- | creas- in each State. While such news- paper enterprise has no conclusive value.
 still, it possesses the merit of showing
 currents of opinion which. shape what may he expected. A summary of The
 Times reports gives a decided lead for I oII .sIF .Ha 1 him to- be the second choice in a number
 of States having favorite sons. These
 reports The Times concludes show that if New York Is left to name the Presi-
 dent, 1t will probably be- Judge Parker.
 zollowing its correspondence from the
 States, The Times then undertook to can
 vass and report the preferences of Demo-
 cratic Senators and Representatives. This
 was a more, difficult task. It showed only a diversity of notions as to candidates, but enough to indicate that
 the weight of favor was for Senator Cor
 man. The Maryland Senator, as the skill full and honored leader of the Senate
 minority. has many loyal admirers in
 both, houses of Congress. But it, is quite
 safe to say that, relieving Senators and
 Representatives of their sense of grateful appreciation and recognition. of his emil
 nent party services, they naturally. turn
 from Senator German, as do Democrats
 out in the States. toward the prospective
 choice of New York; with the distinct
 hope that 1t will fall upon the distin-
 guished jurist, 'devotee of Thomas Jef-
 ferson and always loyal and successful
 Democrat Alton Brooks Parker. now
 chief. judge of the Supreme Court of Ap- peaIs of New. York.
 The conclusion is that unless a very Extraordinary change occurs in the
 national party sentiment, as it .s repre-
 sented by its victory-seeking element
 Parker will be nominated on the first l baIIot R IT Watkins