The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-07-12

PARKER'S LETTER
CHANGED THINGS
BOurke Cochran Believes He
viii Be Elected.
POSITION OF TAMMANY
LEADER ESSENTIAL TO DEMO-
CRATIC SUCCESS.
OF TAMMANY

New York, July 1.-THE Associated
Press today received the following
communication from Bourke Cochran,
dated Indianapolis, July 10, explaining
his declination TO address the national
Democratic convention at St. Louis:
Il left St. Louis yesterday at 12.45
O'Clock because as matters then stood
I did not want TO be in the convention
when nominati0ns for vice president
were reached.
Calls for me 10 make a speech which
had been made repeatedly on prior
days. would very likely be renewed 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. ] have
made II rule never to say on a pub
lie platform anything which 1 could not
repeat in the witness chair. / could
not prophesy victory. and / would not
toretel defeat Silence was therefore
the only course open, and the best way
10 pursue il by my absence
when 1 reached Indianapolis I was
handed a telegram from Charles F.
/ Murphy, informing me Of Judge Par
ker's message TO Mr.. Sheehan, and
urging me to return Immediately.
Prospects Changed.
IN an instant the whole situation
/ was changed. The prospect which had
! been black with signs Of disaster at
once became splendid with promises
I of victory. For many mOnthg ] had
/ been preaching that the success OF the
Democratic party this year involved the
} continuance of constitutional govern
/ ment in this country This view was
expressed in the resolution submitted
/ TO the state convention last April by
/ the Tammany members, and I think it
/ is shared by every thoughtful man in
/ the country The one thing absolutely
| essential to Democratic success is a
/ leader
Until now no one possessing any
/ thing like ability was conspicuous. ex-
/ capt Mr.. Cleveland. To him there were
| Weighty objections. His age is ad-
/ Vanced. Many politicians believe there
| IS a 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 run
4 ming qualities were so excellent that the
/ delegates from the old city of New
/ York urged his nomination a the only
| one that furnished the slightest hope
even Of an exciting contest.
Tammany's Position.
i
''To bring this about and secure an
/ unequivOcal acknowledgement that the
/ money question was settled were the
/ two objects toward which the Tam
/ many delegation concentrated the
/ efforts OF their members. The first of
/ these was wholly impossible To ac-
/ cOmpllSH the second we felt that l. was
1 only necessary to have The delegates
| from doubtful states demand it At
/ the New York delegation on Tuesday
h morning q resolution &c this effect
/ oHered by me was suppressed by
! parliamentary maReuver. After 1t
/ had been agreed TO by the leaders 10
eliminate all reference to the money
question, I again moved that the New
] York delegation offer as an amend
meDt on the convention the financial
/ plank submitted by Senator Hill to
/ the committee on resolutions. but the
| motion was rejected by a vote of 50
/ to IS Of the delegates.
| Under these circumstances the nom
/ nation Of Judge Parker, who was
( without any record on the coinage
/ question, except that he had twice
voted for Mr.. Bryan. seemed to pre-
I clude the slightest hope that he would
! receive even as many electoral votes
[ as Mr. Bryan pOiied in 1900. But this
very pusiuanimiJy OF his managers
+ which led them to surrender their own
| convictions and 10 stifie every attempt
! of the New York city delegates even
/ to voice the opinion of their consti-
/ tuents on this n1omentOus question
4 furnished Judge Parker with an eppoT-
/ tunity which he has improved decis-
| lively.
Parker a Leader.
ct has revealed him TO the people
+ Of this country almost Ia an instant
! as a great leader. the greatest of this
: generation; an honest mantle most
I
/ that I have ever known either through
/ experience or reading: a couTa geous
/ man-Of such Incompatible courage
! that ne was willing TO throw away
/ not merely the hope Of prospect of a
/ nomination, but any actual uOmina-
+ ton 70 tie presidency rather dian
1 stoOp 10 an evasion or equivOcation on
+ a matter of principle.
/ I, who I'D left St. Louis before the
b final adjournment as the only way 10
I avoid being placed i'm q posi- ion where
/ 1 must have told the convention that
( Judge Parker could not. IN my opinion,
I escape crushing defeat. on the receipt
! dered a special train and fastened
( back. because I then felt free to tell
the members. II they still desired 70
{ hear from me. that or tie new plat
/ form which he himself mad made ne
would be overwhelmingly elected.
when my train arrived al 4 O'Clock
+ in the morning the convention had COM
pIeted its work. but If 7 h7d been pres
+ ent I could not have made a single sug-
I gestiun which would have made an i'm
/ DrOvement on its course Indeed the
admirable temper displayed by the men
who at first blush might have cOnsid-
] cred themselves belittled or aggrieved
/ by the singularly Independent course Of
their candidate IS one of the most aus
! piciOus features under which the cam
]