The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-11
THE TTNIEIIINESS AND INFLUENCE
OF THE EDITORIAL CONFER
ENCE.


The campaign is now just entering
upon it's active state, and from this
week on it will be waged with vigor
and with earnestness by both par
ties. This week all of the formalities
of presidential nominations will have
been completed when the letters of ac-
ceptance of the Democratic and Re-
publican Presidential nominees have
been issued by Judge Parker and
President Roosevelt. Then the battle
will be on to the finish.
Just at this time it is most fitting
and most timely, that the Democratic
| and Independent editors of the United
! States should have met in conference,
and as the most important feature OF
| that meeting have become personally
acquainted with Judge Parker This
| has been one great point of value, il
not the greatest of the meeting.
The editors who met, being already
| enlisted for Judge Parker, could not
hope to have any real influence the
one upon the other. except that which
Democratic prospects in the various
States. The speeches which they made
and the speech of Judge Parker have
| real value in the fact that throughout
| the entire countrv these speeches have
| been printed in whole or in part, and
thereby have drawn attention to the
superior qualifications of Judge Par
ker for the Presidency of this great
nation.
But while this is of value the
greatest thing that is left after this
conference is that some five hundred
editors go back to their offices in var
icus parts of the Union with a personal
knowledge of Judge Parker. They
have looked at the man, they have
guaged him by his spoken words, they
have sized him up as only men who
study men can do, and this is the thing
of value.
|. And it is of value because this week,
and in the weeks to come the editors
who met him can fit in the written
word Of the Democratic nominee with
his personality, and they can therefore
speak the clearer to their people. This
very week. when the letter of accept
ance of Judge Parker is published.
they can see in each phrase, in each
sentence, the man behind them, and in
| so doing can speak with confidence
| and with an increased power.
The candidate is such a man as to
| inspire the editors who have met him.
| and the comments on the visit al
| ready published show this. He is q
man whom men admire when they
have personal knowledge of him, and
in this respect the meeting of the
editors has been most timely. They
will give other men the reasons why
Judge Parker should be earnestly
supported.
A special correspondent of the New
York World who visited Esopus with
the editors on Thursday, in speaking
of the meeting of the editors with
Judge Parker, sent these words to
his paper.
"Three generations of editors were
gathered on the Rosemount lawn to-
day TO see and to hear and to form
their personal opinion of Mr.. Parker.
They had all seen his pictures and
they all said the pictures were mis-
leading, the photographs most OF all.
They had all read the story of his
life and to none of them was he the
man they had thought. They ad-
mired him more than they had eX-
Dected.
MANY of the old Democratic war
horses had known Buchanan and
| Pierce. They had known Seymour
and Tilden and Cleveland. The only
| one of those with whom they COM
| pared Mr.. Parker was Tilden. This
! was not only with the gray-headed
| editors who ransacked their we'll
| stored memories. but also with the
! youngsters, who had absorbed the
/ traditions of their elders"
| 1t is such opinions as these that
| the editors carry home with them,
and with this feeling there will come
| expressions and articles in the pa
| pers that will aid nightly for Demo-
cratic success. AS the papers make
their hundreds of thousands daily
visits the voters will have placed be-
fore them the real man. able. learned,
honest, upright. ringing clear and
firm on every great issue. and they
can but be impressed.
Here is an expression that has al
ready gone from one Indiana editor,
John r. Simpson, of the Paoi News,
who declares that "never were con-
ditions better for Democratic sue
cess. Mr.. Parker imDresses me as
being competent, honest and able
man. Tom Taggart is the most re-
sourceful man I ever knew. energetic
| and the best posted man in Indiana
| If any man can carry Indiana, Tag
| CART can" All the members OF the
! Indiana delegation join in this eulo-
| GUM, and they say it sincerely. The
country editors of Indiana believe in
| Taggart, and their visit to Judge
| Parker has increased their faith in
| him.
And as the Indiana editors are i'm
pressed, so is it with the other edi-
/ tors. These men. now at their
homes in many States. will speak to
| the people from the heart and from