Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1904-07-12
BOURKE COCHRAN HAS
CHANGED HIS VIEWS
Believes Democrats Will Now
Gain Great Victory.
WAS AT FIRST DEsPoNDENT
Judge Parker's Telegram to Governor
Sheehan Has Entirely Changed Mr..
Cochran's Opinion Regarding the

Cochran's Opinion Regarding the
Chances of Democratic Success.
New York, July 1.-THE Associated
Press today 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.
Explains His Views.
Il Aeft st. Louis yesterday because
as matters stood, l did not want to
be in the convention when the nomi-
nation for vice-president was reached.
The 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 I could not truthfully assure the
convention that Judge Parker had, in
my opinion, the faintest prospect OF
| success l have made it rule never
| to say on public platform anythin}I
which | would not repeat in the wit
ness chair. Silence was therefore,
the only course open and the best way
| to pursue it. was bp~ ahean
When [ reached indianapolis | was
| handed a telegram from Charles F.
Murphy, informing me of Judge Park
er's message to Governor Sheehan, and
| urging 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 in
volved the continuance of constitu-
tiona1 government in this country
This view was expressed in the res
olutiOn submitted to the state conven-
ton last April by the Tammany mem
bers, and think it is shared by every
thoughtful man in the country. The
one thing absolutely essential to Dem.
ocratfc success is a leader.
AS to Mr.. Cleveland.
'Tfll now, no one possessing any
thing like availability was conspicu-
Gus except Mr.. Cleveland To him
there were mighty objections His
age is advanced. Many politicians be-
lfeve there is 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 running quali-
ties were so excellent that the dele
gates from the old city of New York
urged his nomination as the only one
| shat furnished the slightest hope even
of an exciting contest. To bring
this about and to secure an unequiv-
ocaI acknowledgment that the money
question was settled were the two OBJ
jects to which the Tammany delega.
tion confined the efforts of it's mem.
bers. 1t appeared quite early that
the first Of these was wholly impos-
sible. To accomplish the second we
felt, it was only necessary that the
delegates from all the doubtful states
should demand it firmly as condition
absolutely necessary to success. AT
the meeting of the New York delega.
tion on Tuesday morning a resolution
to this effect offered by me was sup,
pressed by a parliamentary maneuver.
After it had been agreed by the lead.
ers to eliminate all reference to the
| money question, l again moved that
the New York delegation offer as an
amendment in the convention the
| financial plank submitter by Senator
Hill to the committee on resolutions,
but the motioaaa. was rejected by a
vote Of so to % of the delegates.
Parker's opportunity.
Under these circumstances, the
nomination of Judge Parker, who was
without any record on the coinage
| question, except that he had vote6
twice for Mr.. Bryan, seemed to pre-
clude the slightest hope that he would
receive even as many electoral votes
as Mr.. Bryan polled in 1900. But this
very pusillanimity of his managers
| which Led them to surrender their owl
convictions and to stihe every at
tempt of the New York City delegates
even to voice the opinions of their con
| stituents on this momentous question
| furnished Judge Parker with an op
| pOrtunity, which he has improved de
cisively 1t has revealed him to the
| people of this county almost in al
instant as a great leader, the great
est Of this generation, an honest mar
the most III s9ressive in displaying
that virtue that | have ever known
either through experience or reading
a courageous man-of such incompara
bic courage that he was willing Il
throw away not merely the hope o.
prospect of a nomination, but an &C
tual nomination for the presidency
rather than stoop to an evasion O.
eQuivocation on matter of principle
New Platform VIII win.
'T who had left ST. Louis before tht
final adjournment as the only wa!
to avoid being placed in a position
where must have told the convention
that Judge Parker could not, in m!
opinion, escape crushing defeat, on
the receipt of Mr. Murphy's message
I as once ordered a special train ant
II "