The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-15
A POLITICAL VIEW
John WILDER Jenkins, OF
Baltimore Sui, Speaks
of Convention.

Baltimore Sun, VINO is IaVofdply
known to North Carolina newspaper
dom, was in Raleigh yesterday renew
ing his acquaintance with a numerous
circle of friends.
Mr.. jenkins, who is shrewd ano
accurate observer, is just returned
from the Democratic convention al
St Louis and, when seen yesterday
talked Interestingly of the great
gathering and OF political matters III
general:
The st. Louis convention SAD ne
twas the Chicago WigWam convention
OF 1892 and the Chicago Bryan CON
vention of 1896 rolled into one, win
some margin left for worlds ran
crowd out for excitement ana anuse-
ment. Out of the clash and turmoll,
the storm of contest, has emerged
party harmony. The convention was
like Il thunder storm that clears the
atmosphere.
Coming down on the train / asked
Senator Tillman. of South Carolina,
how he felt after it was all over. the
Senator has been for years one of the
strongest silver men in the country,
and in 1896 his badge was silver
pitchfork with a gold bug on every
prong. At the st. Louis convention
he sided with the conservatives ana
his two speeches saved the SITUATION.
The Senator laughed in his grim way
when he thought of the changed con
ditions. When / went to my room
Sunday morning after that long nght,
he said my wiz woke up and asked
me how the convention had ended. ]
laughed as | replied, daring, III
gold bug
'"rhe nomination of Judge Parker
and his manly and courageous teie-
gram have aroused great enthusiasm
in the East In Baltimore many
prominent business men who fough
Mr.. Bryan bitterly, have come out FOR
the ticket and the same is true OF
the northeastern cities.
Maryland is safely Democratic
this year. The party in the State l.
united for the first time in ten years
The pro-negro policy Of Roosevei
has driven from the Republican party
many men who cannot stomach MS
ideas of negro equality. The fact
that he selected to represent the prouC
State of Maryland, in secondlng MS
nomination in Chicago, negro lawyer
named Cummings. has caused re
vuIsion against Roosevelt in Mary.
land. The new election law will cut
off a great many negro votes. The
ballot has been in opera
ton there for years, but the new laV
not only omits the emblem that al
lowed the ignorant voter to cast
STRAIGHT party ballot, but removes al
party designation, so that any voter
who casts a correct ballot must be
able to read and write, and must
know what candidates represent his
party. The constitutional amendment
in Maryland will not be voted upor
until next year, but this new law vii
cut off practically all the illiterate
vote.
''In West Virginia conditions are
very much mixed. Dawson has JUS
been nominated for Governor by the
Republicans after the bitterest con
test in the primaries ever seen in thu
United States. In the contest between
w NJ O. Dawson and Charles +
Teter, twelve men were killed ant
more than a hundred wounded in pc.
litical feuds. Though the Dawson ta;.
reform faction has won. bitterness ha'
been stirred up that will take year;
to overcome. The Democrats there
had planned to nominate Henry G
Davis for Governor, and there is little
doubt that he would have swept tho
State. But the Democrats took Tho
Grand Old Man of West Virginia fol
Vice President and the nominee fol
Governor will probably be Mckinney
or Colonel John T. McGraw. Though
the Republicans are running on ia;
platform, it was Henry G
Davis who was the leading member o
the tax reform commission, and who
drew most OF the proposed laws fol
reform in West Virginia. That Is
normally a Republican State by abou
1900 majority. But the Democrats
there are confident that Davis viii
bring il back into the Democratic col
umn.
delaware is in such a peculiar con
dition that there is little hope for the
Democrats there, and it is lucky tina
it has only three electoral votes. ]
Edward Addicks, the gas millionaire
in his years Of striving for the Senate
has so corrupted that State that II
many Of the country districts votes are
considered as staple as flour and su
gar. The Republican factions there
the Unions and Regulars fight
among themselves about State matters
and would do anything to keep Ad>
dicks out of the Senate, but they arc
united when it comes to the nationa
ticket, and will vote solidly TO,
Roosevelt.
New Jersey, which lies just north
of us, is composed so largely of resi-
dents whose business is in New YorI
city, and is so affected by the senti
ment OF the largest state IN the Union
that it has always gone as New Yorl,
has, and is likely so to do this time
l understand that Connecticut is il
the same condition as New Jersey, ant
the political experts say that, if tht
Democrats can carry New York, boil
these other States will be in line.
Recently l have talked with sew.
eral men from Indiana, and they
think the Democrats stand a fine
chance of carrying that State, in spite
of the fact that Senator Fairbanks
has been nominated by the Republi-
cans for Vice President. 1t seems
worth noting that both the Demo
cratic and Republican candidates for
the second place on the ticket art
millionaires, and the Democrats have
much the ADLER man of the two. Nov
if the Republicans had nominated the
real head of the Fairbanks family
Mrs. Fairbanks they might have hac
a better show.
But, from what / can learn, botl,
parties this year will have plenty
money to pay postage, and little
left over for incidentals."
SPECIAL EDGECOMBE COURT.