The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-27
THE CAMPAIGN EAST AND WEST


There has not seemed to be at any
time a doubt about the selection of
Thomas Taggart, of Indiana, as chair
man of the national Democratic COM
mittee. He was elected yesterday, ana
all the talk about other persons has
been mere political gossip and the
sportive creation of the special CORE
spendents brain. Mr. Taggart has
been clearly the choice of very large
majority of the national committee
His qualifications for the place are
exceptional. Mr.. Taggart made per-
haps the hardest fight that was made
anywhere in the country in behalf of
He had to carry Indiana against a
complete organizatio ton backed by am
pie funds, and he had to do this in the
interest of a candidate who at that
time had little personal hold upon the
Indiana Democracy. He won that as
he has won many another fight, with
out splitting UP the party and with
out any doubt about the results. He
is political manager of the first rank,
and the only man at all whom the
West would have to offer of ability
commensurate with the work in hand.
His selection will be universally salts
factory.
Whatever may be the titles of the
gentlemen designated for different
offices in the organization, the practi-
cal division of labor in both parties
this year, and always hereafter, will
be between East and West There will
be an Eastern and Western head
quarters, with man in charge of
each who is actually division superin-
tendept for his territory. The country
is too large and the national campaign
carried forward at once in all the
states is too complicated to be handled
in all details from a single center. Be
sides that, the issues that appeal more
particularly to one constituency are
not those that affect most powerfully
another. While it would be a useless
hypocrisy, of which the Democratic
party at least could never be guilty, to
announce one doctrine or policy in the
East and another in the West it is
perfectly legitimate to center the
fighting on one plank of a platform
accepted in its entirety in one part of
the country and on another plank
elsewhere. Everywhere that which
appeals most powerfully to the voter
is to be considered by the good politi-
cal manager.
Mr.. Sheehan. will doubtless be chair
man of the executive committee aud
practical campaign manager for the
East, as Mr.. Taggart is for the West.
1t matters little about the distribution
;ol litular honors- These are the facts.
Mr.. Sheehan is a thoroughly adnnira-
bic selection. In his management of
Judge Parker's campaign at ST. Louis
ne displayed the highest order Of
tactical genius. He never made a
mistake and rarely an enemy. With
out alternating anybody he managed %
have Judge Parker's support grow
stronger from day to day, and during.
all the excitement of that convention
week he was never guilty of false
move Best of all, he showed his
quality when, against the advice Of
such counselor as Senator Hill. he
insisted upon placing Judge Parker's
famous telegram before the conven-
ton. He is man of intelligence.
honor and of supreme skill in political
diplomacy He will handle the cam
paign in the Eastern states as no
other man could, perhaps not even ex-
cepting Senator German.
TIE arrangement reached is salts