The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-07-15

Press TODAY received the following tel
egram from Bourke cochran, dated In
~dianapolfs July 10. explaining his declt-
nation TO address the National Demo-
cratic convention at st. Louis
Il left St. Louis yesterday at 12:f5,
ecaus as matters then stood 1 did not
want TO be in the convention when
nominations for vice president were
reached
Calls for me to make a speech, when
had been made repeatedly on prior
days would very likely be renewed at
the final session, and at he time L
could not truthfully assure the V
ton that Judge Parker, had in my opin-
ion the faintest prospect of success. l
have made it a rule to never say on a
public platform anything which I
could not repeat in the witness chair.
l could not prophecy voctOry and L
would not fortell defeat. Silence was
therefore the only course open and the
best way to pursue it was by absence.
when 1 reached Indianapolis i was
handed a telegram from Charles F.
Murphy, informing me of Judge Par
ker's message to Governor Sheehan and
urging me to return Immediately.
In an instant the whole situation
was changed. The prospect which had
beer blank with signs of disaster at
once became splendid at promises of
victory. For many months I had been
preaching that the success of the Dem
ocratic party this yea involved the
continuance Of constitutional govern
ment in his country. This view vas
expressed in the resolution submitted
to the state convention last April by
the Tammany members, and l think il
is shared by every thoughtful man in
the country. The one thing absolutely
essential to Democratic success is a
leader.
Till now no one possessing anthing
like availability was conspicuous except
Mr.. Cleveland. To him there were
weighty objections. His age is advanC-
ed. Many politicians believe there is
a widespread objection to giving anv
man, however wise. or virtuous more
han two terms in the Presidency. The
~antagonisms which he has provoked
are numerous and bitter. Still his run
ming qualities were so elegant, 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 uGequivO-
cal acknowledgement that the money
question was settled were two objects
to which the Tammany delegation con-
fined the efforts of its members. 1t -
peared quite early that the first f
these was wholly impossible. To &C
compIish the second we felt it was only
necessary that the delegates from the
doubtful states should demand it firm
", as a condition absolutely necessary
to success. At the meeting of the del
egation on Tuesday morning, a resolu-
ton to this effect, offered by me was
suppressed by a parliamentary
yre. After il had been agreed by the
leaders to eliminate all reference to the
money question, I again moved that
the New York delegation offer as an
amendment in the convention the a
cial plank submitted by Senator Hill
to the committee on resolutions, hnt
the motion was rejected by a vote Of
so to % of the delegates
Under these circumstances, the NOM
ination of Judge Parker who was with
out any record on the coinage question,
except that he had voted twice for Mr..
bryan, seemed to preclude the slightest
hope that he would have even as many
electoral votes as Mr.. Bryan polled IN
1900. But this very pusilanimity of his
managers, which led them to surrender
their own convictions and to stifie
every attempt of the New York city
delegates, even TO voice the opinions
OF their constituents on this momen-
tous question, furnished Judge Parker
with an opportunity which he has i'm
proved decisively. 1t has revealed him
to the people of this country almost in
an instant as a great leader-the great
est Of this generation, an honest man
the most impressive in displaying thai
virtue that I have ever Known, either
through experience or reading, a cour
ageous man-of such incompatible
courage that he was willing to throw
away, not merely the hope of prospect
of a nomination, but an actual r~-i-
nation for the Presidency, rather than
stoop to an evasion or e~quiyocation on
a matter of principle.