The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-26
THE REAL ISSUE BEFORE US,

It is no longer in Alabama a question of regulars" and 'reorganizers." It 's now Q question of whether the Democ- racy of Alabama is to be relegated to the rear in order that a young bull in the China shop, the unthinkable Hearst shall be allowed to wreck the Party.
 When the name of Hearst was first mem tioned in connection with the Presidency 1t was looked on as a joke. It was re- garded as e sort of Harry Lehr perform ance by which a young man who had tried all other methods of exploiting him. self should get his name before the pub lie in a new role. We doubt If he took himself seriously at the beginning. With all his unmeasured gall. his stupendous self-conceit and his money power IL IS hardly probable that he expected any thing more than glaring notoriety. It Is inconceivable that he could have imag- ined that the sober, conservative people of this country would elevate a mounte- bank to the highest office within their gift
 The danger is to the Democracy itself and especially do we refer now to the Democracy of Alabama. Just why he IS so vigorously exploited in this State is one of the mysteries of politics. There are some men, beyond a doubt, who are booming him for the benefit that is in it for them. There are others who are for him solely because they hope thus to humiliate thousands of old Democrats who have not been ardent admirers of the Chicago and Kansas City platforms. Men of their temperament would advocate the nomination of Eugene Debs if by so do- ing they could gratify their malice against the so-called bolters."
 But there are men advocating Hearst who are not of either class mentioned. We would hesitate to believe that they are governed either by self-interest or malice. They really desire the success of the Party and look on Hearst as a strong man. They advocate his nomina- tion because they think he Is the one to unite the Democracy and defeat Roose- welt. They seem earnest and conscten- tious in their belief.
 There has never been a greater political hallucination since the Democrats took up Horace Greedy. Then, as now, the coun- try was tired of the unsafe President. The Democrats thought the conservative men of all parties would unite on Greedy in order to get away from a military executive who was feared and in whom good men had lost confidence. It matters not now whether the Democrats did right or wrong in nominating an old enemy. The result Is historic. The country would have none of him, and the Democratic States of the South refused to support him,
 The nomination of Hearst would be to invite another disaster without the Justi- fication of 1872. Then the Democracy had no hope of success with a straight Demo- cratic candidate, so 1t made a compro- mise. There is no such excuse to be made now. Democracy has a good chance to win, with a good man and a good plat form. We must have not only the Demo- cratic vote, but must have a portion of the independent vote in some of the close States. That vote would go to a good man. It will not even think of going to Hearst.
 And so we repeat that the candidacy of Hearst, no matter what is behind 1t, is a menace to Democracy. Not that he can be nominated, but that the influences at work for him will demoralize the Party and leave 1t in a worse condition than It was in 1s96-a condition from which 1t would not recover in a dozen years. That Is the issue in Alabama today. Whether we shall send to St. Louis delegation of Democrats who will go with minds open to consult with other Democrats and act for the best interests of the Party and the country, or whether men shall go there whose influence will be disruptive and destructive. It is the Hearst infiu. ence against united Democracy. and the Democracy of Alabama may as well un- | derstand 1t In time.