Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-07-15
ALL is OVER, EVEN THE SHOUTING.

men have assembled aud they have
Nominated a ticket, and if we are not
mistaken they had about as we'll siad
at home They have placed at he head
of the Democratic party, unqnesti0n-
ably, man who has bolted the ticket
in the last two campaigns, If his dec
larations on the money question be
any indication. They have nominated
a man who, whilst they claimed the
money question was settled, would
not allow it to remain settled, and who
on other matters has little in common
with the party. They have fallen into
the same quagmire Quay did when he
made Pennypacker governor OF Penn
sylvania. They have taken a man
from the bench and converted him
into politician who is ignorant OF
politics, and who, whilst his intentions
may be good, and he be deeply honest
and In earnest, will constantly be com.
mitting blunders which an ordinary
child should avoid. His first step was
an egregious blunder. no worse one
could have been committed, and pres
sages defeat from the start. Just so
soon as he spoke the convention should
have taken him down and nominated
another. The day has passed when
we for one intend lying about matters
OF this kind, or when just anything
Democratic masqueraders do, meets
our approval, or causes us to shout.
We decline to look happy unless we
are SO. We had hoped to see a ticket
nominated which would win in the
coming contest, but almost before the
shouting had died away after the nom
nation, bucket of cold water was
dashed on the shouters and the party
generally, the tyrO they had named
opened his mouth and put his foot in
it. Heretofore his mouth had been
closed, and we thiak judiciously SO,
since we see the mess he made when
he did open it. Talk about Roosevelt
debating to his party, we have here a
sample of dictatiOn, and sample which
high minded and honorable men should
not have submitted to. The idea of
having to beg man to stand on a
platform made by thousand of the
most intelligent men the Democrats
could select, the idea of having to ex
plain to, or tell nominee of that party
how he could get on such platform
was basely humiliating. If there had
been any enthusiasm for Parker il
0Ozed out on the reading of his tele
gram.
The convention from the start was
in the hands of the gold element, they
have undertaken to run the job. and sc
far have messed it. If this be test Of
their modes, then they have little room
to criticize Mr.. Bryan. 1t is useles.
to deny that when Mr.. Bryan took thu
helm the ship was nearer a wreck thar
when Mr.. Parker grabbed it at St
Louis. Lets see how the results in
November will compare with results
in November 1896 and 1900. Let us
see whether ''safe and sane'' DemOc
racy can roll up six million, five hun
dred thousand votes III 1904
There were many mistakes made by
the convention in it's efforts to squelct
Mr.. Bryan. but he grew stronger az
the fight continued, and in the last
bout when there was an effort TO insert
gold plank in the platform he was
overwhelmingly victorious, and rip
ped that plank out by majority oil
over two thirds. The day before bis
enemies had told of his defeats, it was
hard to believe that even so much as a
memory of him existed, but when they
had put him to bed with fever as they
said, he reappeared and won the most
signal victory of the campaign. But
just when all differences were settled
and harmony was really in sight, the
silent man from New Y Ork opened his
mouth and spoke. We will not pause
here to tell the story of Balaam and
his ass. The gentlemen who have
handed over to the Reunited Democ-
racy" the nominee who has just opened
his mouth, are so sensitive at this
writing that we would not do violence
to their feelings. They labored, they
strove, they spent sleepless nights in
their efforts to do all things well, and
the results are before us.
We have a sample of the 'safe and
sane, a sample of the gold standard
statesman, and little of 1t goes long
ways. Grover, we think, wOnld have
been decid ed improvement on the
sample.