The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-14
"GROVER CLEVELAND Is
DEM0CRACY'S ONLY HOPE"
Capt. Thompson Says "Sage of
Princeton" Can Defeat Roosevelt.

| Capt. Thompson Says "SaEe of
Princeton" Can Defeat Roosevelt.
The Democratic party cannot hope
to attain national supremacy until the
party returns to the true principles as
laid down by the fathers of the party
The man, of all men, in this country
to-day who represents these principles
is that grand old statesman, Grover
Cleveland. He is the only man who has
won a national victory for the party
since the Civil War, and to-day,
Grover Cleveland is Democracy's only
hope"
Capt. S. B. Thompson, of Chicago,
VINO spent much time in Savannah dur
ing the Spanish war as an
officer of the Second Volunteer Regi-
ment of Illinois, summed up the Demo-
cratic presidential situation in the
above language at the De Soto last
night. He declares that Ex-President
Cleveland is to-day stronger in the
Middle West States than he ever was
before and that if he is nominated by
the Democratic National Convention
at st. Louis next July he will be the
next President of the United States,
He declared that the Republicans
could not possibly carry the states of
New York, New Jersey and Indiana
with Grover Cleveland at the head of
the Democratic ticket. He also ex-
pressed much doubt as to the Re
publican carrying several other states
when are, under ordinary circum-
stances, considered as sare for the Re
publican column. The state of Illinois,
he declared, would cast it's electoral
vote for the Republican nominee but
that with Mr.. Cleveland as the stand
ard bearer of the party the Demo-
Gratis would stand an excellent show
of electing a successor to Gov. Richard
Yates, and that the party would make
"a gain of several congressman in The
state.
As to ROOsevelt's Nomination,
Capt Thompson says that the SEN
timent in the Republican party
throughout the Northern states is
growing stronger every day against the
denomination OF Theodore Roosevelt
lie says that the party leaders have
| discovered the drift of the wind and
fear that if Roosevelt is nominated,
that it means a repetition of the cam
pdlgn of 1892, when Benz. Harrison was
defeated by Grover Cleveland.
The Hanna sentiment, he says, is
growing so strong that it is now freely
predicted in Republican circles that
the nomination may be forced on the
Ohio senator. Then, too, he says, that
the failure of Senator Hanna to issue
the call for the Republican National
Convention. has given hope to his
friends that he will yet allow the use
of his name before the convention.
Senator Chas. w. Fairbanks of In
diana, it is said, has announced to his
political lieutenants in the Hoosier
State, that the denomination of Presi-
dent Roosevelt meant political suicide
for the Republican party in the coming
national contest. The fact that Sem
ator Fairbanks personal organ at In
dianapols expressed the same senti-
ments few days ago, and that the
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune, which
is practically owned by the Indiana
senator and which has been fighting
the President for the past two months,
lends much color to this statement.
With Fairbanks in Indiana, Hanna in
Ohio, Nathan b. Scott in West Vir
ginia, Kerns in Missouri, and Perry
Heath in the far West, all combined
against the President, it would seem
that it would require quite good deal
of rough riding for him to control
the action of the Chicago convention,
Capt. Thompson thinks.
Illinois for Cleveland.
Capt Thompson is a member of the
Iroquois Club of Chicago, which, next
10 Idmmdny nan IS propdply lue
strongest Democratic organization in
the country, and he declares that
while there has been considerable talk
of Illinois casting her vote in the Ma
tional Convention for Congressman j.
Robert Williams, that this is only the
talk OF Mr.. Williams friends, and that
in his opinion the state of Illinois will
go into the convention with the de-
termination of doing all within her
power to bring about the nomination
of the Sage of Princeton to again lead
the Democratic forces in the National
contest.
Richard Olney, of Massachusetts, he
believes is the next strongest man to
Grover Cleveland, and believes that if
Mr.. Cleveland refuses to allow the con-
sideration of his name in connection
with the nomination that Mr.. Olney
will be the logical candidate.