Arizona republican., 1904-07-08
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, JULY s. 1904
The Democrats in Convention.

Today is to be the big day in the
 democratic national convention. It is always hot in St. Louis in July-much hotter than in Phoenix to tell the truth-but the outlook warrants the prediction that in comparison with the temperature inside the convention hall today, the atmosphere of St. Louis will be cold. The band wagon will roll on, but the wheels will rot turn unvexed of noise and obstruction.
 The democrats get an immense amount of enjoyment out of their na- tional conventions-much more, ap- parently, than do the republicans. With republicans the nomination of candidates for president and vice-pres. ident is a serious business. Each dele gate appreciates the importance of party success, and each delegate is ready, as a rule, to subordinate his own wishes to the wishes and judg- ment of the majority. Extraordinary before republican delegates would per init themselves to be drawn into an unseemly wrangle under the eyes Of the country. This disposition to make republican success the watchword has led the democrats tU exclaim, some what jeeringly, that "the republican party is the best disciplined organiza- tion on the face of the earth" when the truth is. merely, that the average republican feels that disaster would befan his beloved country should dis sensions within the ranks make it pos sible for the government to pass into the hands of the democracy. Accord ingly, when republicans assemble in national convention, they keep in view the heavy responsibility which is theirs.
 The democrats, on the other hand, do not feel a like responsibility nearly so keenly. It has seldom been their good fortune in the last half century to en- ter a campaign with much hope of success. In tEeir serious moments they have to admit to themselves that they have little show to win, and this feel lliS AdluL any ltSuAtS III d lll-ANOAC OA irritation and recklessress.
 Controversies are welcomed as a di- version, and there is little feeling Of comradeship among the delegates as Q whole Such camaraderie as exists is confined to factions. The members of the several factions which make up democratic national convention do have, for the moment, a feeling and spirit in con mon within that faction, but the factions are more hostile to- ward each other than they are toward the common enemy Tn point of fac tional division a democratic convention assembled to name cadidate for pres ident resembles nothing so much as the German reichstag. Tn the reichstag there are quite a dozen sectional par ties" and coalitions are constantly forming, dissolving and reforming. Only the overshadowing influence of the throne maintains order and achieves positive and consistent results in legislation. In a democratic con- vention only the cohesion of common discomfort and generic agreement that all assembled there are "agin the government serves to sustain a sem blance of harmony.
 Hence it is that in democratic con- venuons the American people find the greatest entertainment. There is all ways something doing when the democrats are about to name their can didate for president. Fireworks con- stitute the principal element on the programme