The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-01

ment. strengthen its position amongst the nations of the earth, as standing first and all the time for justice. liberty and humanity. puttingN aside all thirst for conquest and dominion and greed, and making the United States loved at home and revered abroad Yet do not thi1k 1t would be wise to nominate Mfr. Bryaa, because there are some Democrats who think that he would so revoiutionize cx- isting conditions as to bring disaster, and the desertion of these from our ranks would probably mean failure, and doubt lees for tliis reason MT. Bryan has re- nounced any aspiration for the nomina- ton. MT. Bryan has no doubt been led by unjust and malicious attacks, abIse and misrepresentation. and the aprehea- sion that there was a determined effoft to repudiate the fundamental doctrines of our party to take the stamp and ex- press his views in forcible language. am inclined to think that other methods might have been more available. The very apprehension that there Is some se- rious effort to secure the nomination of MT. Cleveland makes many loyal Dcni- ocrats almost despair of success. 1t seems to me that the Democratic Party is fin a very sad situation If 1t cannot find a standard-bearers- who has always been faithful, not only to the principles, but to the organization of the party. If 1t could even be imagined that the rank and file of our party could forget that MT. Cleveland knifed our regular nomi- mated candidates, both in 1896 and 190o. they could never forget that, by his want of tact. his incapable leadership and his stubborn refusal to accept advice from the ablest Democrats during his last term as President, a victorious, united. and aggressive party was driven in disgrace o-A h he succeeded in forcing his policies to be enacted into law.
 "As I understand 1t, MT. Bryan is not l urging the reaffirmation of the Kansas City platform in order to commit the Democratic party to the free coinage of silver at 16 to 1 or any other ratio, but | to have 1t stand for the doctrines therein announced and a sufficient circulating medium to meet the .deniands of business. do not suppose that any thoughtful | Democrat ever stood for free coinage ex- l cept as a means to an end. None cared particularly that we should have two money metals, but that there should be enough primary money in circulation and existence to preserve the level of prices and a fair reward for honest la bor. The greatly increased and still in- creasing production of gold. and the hun dreds of millions brought into the United I States by the balance of trade in the
 past few years has largely supplied the
 Democratic demand for increased circu-
 lation, enhanced the value of labor and
 property and thus indicated the Demo-
 cratic contention that no prosperity can
 exist without a sufficient circulating me-
 dium.
 Yes, I have been quoted as favoring the nomination of Mir. Shepard, of New
 York, and whilst I have a very high
 opinion of his character and ability, l am satisfied that his opposition to the
 Democratic ticket in the city of New
 York in the recent election will take him
 from the list of available candidates. l
 think 1t would be a somewhat arduous
 task to those of us who have always
 given active support to our candidates
 to convince the rank and file of our party that it was their duty to put aside pref erences they might have held to SUD- port a nominee for President not entirely
 to their liking if that nominee should ! by his own conduct in the past have
 maintained the doctrine that the nominee
 should be opposed if he did not measure
 up to the standards of fitness of the cleo
 tor. It seems to me that in order to
 win this year, we shall need to get the
 vote df every man who believes in the
 fundamental principles of our party, and
 for this reason 1t would be extremely un-
 wise to nominate any gentlemen whose
 party loyalty is in question or who has
 eliminated the respect and confidence oi
 any considerable number of Democrats The loss of a few votes in any one State might be fatal to our success. T think the delegates to the conven.
 tion should go uninstructed and without
 any such bias as would prevent then
 from making such choice as upon con.
 sultation with representative Democrat.
 from all the States as would seem best
 to insure success. Considering that less
 than one-fifteenth of the Democrats o
 Alabama followed the advice of Mir : Cleveland in 1896. it would certainly b, l a curious spectacle to see the other four
 teen-fifteenths msl1ing up a delegation to represent them from this minority. 1, think every reasonable effort should b, made to forget past differences and t, r unite all Democrats, but I think 1t woul,
 be disastrous to deliver the organization
 into the hands of gentlemen who seen
 not to be bound by the action of tn,
 party"