The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-01
THE CLEvELANp srNTrmrNr.

ent day politics is the pertinacity with which the conservative sentiment of the country turns to and clings to no other theory than that men best calculated to judge yet believe him to be the strongest man the Party can nominate.
 The Advertiser was among the first to come out in favor of Mir. Cieveland's nomination, but lately we have ceased to advocate or expect 1t. and that for what we considered two good reasons. In the first place we have believed in his absolute sincerity when he declared that he did not want the nomination and had no intention of allowing the use of his name at the convention. In the second place. we have. somewhat reluctantly, 1t Is true, admitted the soundness of the arguments made by those who oppose him that his nomina- . tion would stir up afresh the feelings of bitterness and opposition which have of late years divided our Party. Both these arguments have of late lost much of their force in our estima- tion. We admit that he does not de- sire the nomination. but we believe he would accept if it came to him without any struggle on his part, but as voluntary act on the part of the Democrats of the country. Whatever else may be said of him he has never turned aside from what he considered the path of duty. He may have been mistaken, but has never shown either moral or physical cowardice in his of ficial acts. If the St. Louis Conven- tion should spontaneously offer him the nomination he will accept It.
 We confess that we have lost much of our hope and belief that the exclu- sion of Mir. Cleveland from the discus sion and from the calculation would in- sure harmony and unity in the Demo- cratic Party. For quite a while we have looked on Judge Parker as the nominate. We thought he could solid fly New York. and we could see no reason why Democrats of all shades of opinion should not harmonize on him. We believe him qualified for the posi- ton, believe that he would be a safe and thoroughly creditable Chief Execu- tive, and also felt that we could unite on him and elect him if the election of a Democrat is possible.
 These dreams have been somewhat -az AF ra 10 is not at all satisfactory or reassuring. That organization can save or lose the electoral vote of New York to any man the Democrats can nominate. and we must confess that the indications are not such as to give us the confidence we would be glad to feel with regard to the vote of that great State.
 Nor are we any more hopeful as to the prospects of Democratic harmony. With Bryan continually knifing all measures looking towards Democratic unity; with the plutocratic Hearst ele- ment trying to undermine and destroy the honesty and integrity of the De- mocracy; with Democrats in various parts of the country jibing and jeering at Parker because of his dignified si- lence-with all these agencies at work to prevent the Party from centering on Judge Parker, we confess that it begins to look like a failure. We have lost not an iota of our belief In Parker as a suitable man for the nomination. but we are almost disgusted with the ef- forte Ia tn ht
 And this same feeling Is operating throughout the country, and it Is re- sponsible for the recrudescence of the Cleveland sentiment. Democrats are saying to themselves that if we are not to have harmony by taking Parker, we may as we'll turn to Cleveland. And we tell those Democrats who have an attack of Cleveland -phobia every time his name is mentioned th!N they are going exactly the right way to ensure cerely desire to see the Party harmo- nious are becoming disgusted with the spiteful warfare made on Parker, and on thoss who have been advocating him. by the radicals who seem to think there can be no such thing as genuine Democracy unless it has the endorse ment of Mir. Bryan. These Democrats who call themselves regulars" and who froth at the mouth whenever a sound money Democrat expresses an opinion. these are the men who may prevent the nomination of Parker and cause stampede which will give the nomination to Cleveland. If this is what the regulars" are working for, well and good. Others can stand 1t as well as they can.
 As fair expression of the feeling that is springing up over the country we reprint the conclusion of an edi- torial from a recent issue of The Ral- eigh (N. CD Post:
 The political situation in the West is such as to suggest the wisdom of mak- ing the exPresident the Party leader Twelve years ago when MT. Cleveland was elected President he carried the States of Illinois and Wisconsin by publican Party in both those States is rent asunder and conditions are pecu- liarly inviting to the Democratic Party to nominate a candidate who can com mand the confidence of conservative men of all parties. The logic of the situation points to Grover Cleveland as the man. Regarding the probability that the element in the Democratic Party represented by MT. Bryan will oppose MT, Cleveland if he is nomin- ated 1t Is sufficient to answer that the election in 1892 was carried against Mir Bryans OpDOsition and that of