Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-07-11
BOURKE COCHRAN
TELLS WHY HE LEFT
Thought Killing of Gold Plank in Platform Put Party
in Bad Way Parker's Declaration However.
Cheered Him Up and He Went Back. Only to
Find That Convention Had Adjourned.

/ Press to-day received the following,
communication from Bourke Cochran,
dated Indianapolis, July 10, explain
ing his declination to address the ma
tional democratic convention at st
Louis:
i left st Louis yesterday at 12:46
because as matters then stood I did
not want to be in the convention when
nominations for vice president were
reached.
Calls for me to make a speech,
| which had been made repeatedly on
prior days would very likely be re-
| newed at the final session, and at the
| time l could not truthfully assure the
convention that Judge Parker had i'm
| my opinion the faintest prospect of
success. have made 1t a rule to
never say on public platform any,
thing which would not repeat in the
| witness chair. / could not prophecy
victory and + would not foretell de-
feat. Silence was therefore the only
course open and the best way to pur-
sue it was by absence.
When reached Indianapolis was
handed telegram from Charles n.
Murphy Informing me of Judge Par
ker's message to Mr. Sheehan and urg-
ing me to return Immediately.
In an instant the whole situation
was changed. The prospect which
| had been black with signs of disaster
| at once became splendid with promises
OF victory. For many months had
been preaching that the success of the
| democratic party this year involved q
continuance of constitutional govern
ment In this country. This view was
expressed in the resolutions submitted
| to the state convention last April by
the Tammany members and think it
| Is shared by every thoughtful man in
the country. The one thing absolute
" essential to democratic success is a
| leader
iii now no one possessing any
thing like availability was conspicuous
| except Mr. Cleveland TO him there
were weighty objections"
Many politicians believe there is a
widespread objection to giving any
| man, however wise or virtuous, more
than two terms In the presidency The
antagonisms which he has provoked
are numerous and bitter. Still his run
ming qualities were so excellent that
the delegates from the old city of New
York urged his nomination as the only
one that furnished the slightest hope
/ even of an exciting contest To bring
this about and to secure an unequlvo-
cal acknowledgment that the money
/ question was settled were the two OBJ
i jects to which the Tammany delega ton
confined the efforts Of its members. 1t
appeared quite early that the first Of
these was wholly impossible. 10 ac-
complish the second we felt it was only
necessary that the delegates from the
doubtful states should demand it firm
i ~ as a condition absolutely necessary
to success At the meeting of the New
| York delegation ON Tuesday morning a
resolution to this effect offered by RE
was suppressed by parliamentary
maneuver After it had been agreed
| by the leaders to eliminate all reference
to the money question again moved
that the New York delegation offer as
an amendment in the convention the
| financial plank submitted by Senator
Hill to the committee on resolutions, but
the motion was rejected by a vote Of
80 to % Of the delegates.
Under these circumstances the NOM
ination of Judge Parker who was with
| our any record on the coinage question,
Il
Bryan seemed to preclude the slight
est hope that he would receive even
as many electoral votes as Mr. Bryan
polled in 1900 But this very pusil-
| lanimity Of his managers which led
| them to surrender their own convic-'
| tions and to stifie every attempt of tue
New York city delegates even to voice
| the opinions OF their constituents OH
this momentOus question furnished
Judge Parker with an opportunity
which he has improved decisively. 1t
has revealed him to the people OF this
country almost in an instant as q great
leader-the greatest of this generation;
an honest man. the most impressive in
displaying that virtue that have ever
known either through experience or
reading; courag geous man, OF such in
comparable courage that he was willing
to throw away not merely the hope or
prospect of nomination, but an actual
nomination for the presidency rather
than stoop to an evasion or equivoca-
ton on q matter of principle.
II who left st Louis before the final
adjournment as tile only way to avoid
being placed in q position where must
have told the convention that Judge
Parker could not in my opinion escape
GTuSn1uX u6Iedly Oh L1S IGSSlPL vi I'LL
Murphy's message, at once ordered
special train and FASTENED back, be-
cause then felt free to tell the mem-
bers, If they still desired to hear from
me, that on the new platform which he
himself had made he would he over
whelmingly elected.
when my train arrived at in the
morning the convention had completed
its work. but if I had been present
could not have made a single sugges-
ton which would have been an i'm
provement on its course. Indeed, the
admirable temper displayed by the men
who at first blush might have consid-
cred themselves belittled or aggrieved
by the singularly Independent course
Of their candidate, is one of the most
auspicious features under which the
campaign opens"
A JEALOUS HUSBAND.