The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-22

such character as to convince the people
not merely that the purpose of the party
was sincere, but that the agent chosen to
effect 1t was entirely competent, have no
doubt whatever that the ticket would
be Overwhelmingly elected. A man to
meet these requirements must possess
peculiar and very unusual qualities He
must be a man of answering courage
unbending honesty, unfiagging resolution
who can neither be inundated cajoled
Seduced nor fatigued.
Whether the peculiar tendencies of the
present administration, it's irresistible dis
position to foreign adventure, its spectac-
ular and undignified attempts to initiate
foreign ceremonies and foreign methods
of diplomacy, it's eagerness to increase
armaments, its actual subserviency to
the worst political elements, while pro-
Tossing devotion to lofty ideals shall be
completely expelled from our political sys-
tenn or made permanent features of it
will be determined by the success or de-
feat of the candidate who has originated
most OF them and is the embodiment Of
all of them. The platform, if it be hon
est, candid and sincere, must necessarily
be brief The fact that there is no
chance of our obtaining possession of
both the legislative and executive depart
ments renders any declaration of Iegisla-
tive intention supeTffuous and therefore
objectionable on every ground. They can
not possibly be carried out, and to pro-
fess purposes impossible Of accomplish
ment is neither prudent nor impressive
nor entirely honest. But if the subjects
with which the platform can deal are
few they are nevertheless so important
that the sincerity of the party must be
made absolutely beyond question.
Cannot Sneak into PoWer.
One thing, 1t seems to me, is absolutely
certain. The Democratic party cannot
sneak into power. Whatever its purposes
may be they must be distinctly avowed
and placed beyond any question The
strongest feature of the platform will
therefore be the character of the candf-
date. Here, it seems to me, the party is
slngularly rich in excellent material
Glance at the candidates available for
the consideration of the st. Louis con-
ventfon and then contrast that imposing
wealth of resources with the almost en-
tire sterility of the field to which the
choice of the other party is limited 1t
is hardly an exaggeration to say that If
Mr.. Roosevelt died before the last of
June the Chicago assembly would hardly
be able to effect nomination, or indeed
to find candidate before the first Mon
day following the first Tuesday of No
vember.
To the Democratic convention the state
of New York presents a man who is tho
exact opposite to the swashbuckling. lin
gOistic, rough riding, eccentric man who
has already assumed the position of Re-
publican candidate. If Judge Parker's
record satisfy the delegates that he pos
sesses the qualities necessary to fight for
reform as strenuously as Republican lead
ers have labored for corruption during
the last eight years no objection can be
made to him on the score of personal
character. If the convention decide that
the judicial quality is the one which pru-
dence and patriotism suggest for the most
effective opposition to jingoism and
Swashbuckling he is an almost ideal can
didate.
1.-The Man from st. Louis"
If the issues should be simply reform
in administration the exposing of wrong
and the pursuit and conviction of wrong
doers, the man who has won national
fame as prosecutor in ST. Louis seems
to possess every quality necessary to in
sure success. His record is absolutely
unique, so far as 1 know, in the history
of the country. He is a reformer of sin
gular efficiency, and at the same time a
politician of consummate skill, while as
reformer and politician he has been sue
cessful in an extraordinary and almost
bewiIdeTing degree. Reformers have been
numerous. but no other, to my knowledge,
has ever been equally successful in fight
ing rogues in the criminal courts and in
the political primaries
Reformers who are really anxious to
end wrongdoing have always been numer-
Gus. RefOrmerS who have undertaken to
prosecute crime in the courts have not
been few. Reformers who have succeeded
in obtaining convictions are rare, though
not wholly unknown. But the only man,
so far as know, who has pursued GRIM
inals in the courts to conviction and at
the same time has fought them success
fully at the primaries, who has actually
succeeded in dis1odging them from the
political control in which he found them
and assuming that control himself is the
present prosecuting attorney of ST. Louis.
That he has vindica ted justice in the
courts would have been highly creditable.
but that he has actually enthroned it in
control of a political party so completely
that delegates charged with the task Of
rewarding its champion by nominating
him to the highest office in the common
wealth will dominate the state convention
of Missouri almost unanimously is an
event unprecedented IN the history Of
politics. so far as ] know. and fraught
with the promise of measureless benefit
to the people of the whole country.
Moral Fibre of the People
The moral fiber of the American people
has always been sound The virtuous
have always been in the vast majority.
but their very superiority has tended to
make their employment the most ex-
tensive and therefore the most exact