The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-01-04
Big Banquet in Honor
Of Mcclellan.
CLEVELAND ON The PROGRAM
Hill, German, Whitney, Gray, Carlisle
and Other Democratic Leaders
Will Speak.

NEW YORK, Jan. Awhile the
nresence of score or more Of demo-
cratic national leaders III New York is
for the ostensible purpose of attending
tonght's banquet in honor of Mayor
Mcclellan it is no secret in political
circles that the gathering of the par
ty leaders is due to considerations OF
far greater Importance. A conference
to discuss plans for reorganizing the
democratic national committee is the
real magnet that has attracted the big
men of the party.
Those in attendance include such
eminent party leaders as ekPresident
Cleveland. ex-senator David b. Hill,
Judge Gray Of Delaware, Congressman
DeArmOnd of Missouri and Congress-
man William A. Castor of Massachu-
sets. William G. Whitney, John c..
Carlisle, August Belmont and others
who We're connected with the tri-
umphant democracy of Grover CleVe-
land are also taking part. These
leaders do not attempt to conceal their
intention to take the control Of the
national committee out of the hands
Of the radical or Bryan element, which
now controls it, and to agree among
themselves on a candidate for chair
man, to succeed james K. Jones of Ar
kansas. That Senator Jones will not
have charge Of the Forthcoming pres
idential campaign they regard as a
certainty. New York is considered the
important state to the democratic par
ty this year and the democratic lead
ers in the east believe, it is said, that
a New York man should be made
chairman of the committee.
Friends of Senator P. H. McCarren,
the new democratic boss of Brooklyn.
say that he would have strong backing
among the democratic leaders of the
east for the craftsmanship. Mr. Nc
Carren is not yet even member of
the committee, but it was understood
when he took charge of the democrat
ic campaign in Brooklyn last October,
SuppIdlltlilS JitS5H NhCI/t, MN, llldt llt
would be elected member in place of
Norman E. Mack of Buffalo. thus be-
coming the representative of New York
state on the national committee.
MCCarren is said to be the choice
of Tammany for the craftsmanship of
the national committee and it is un-
derstoOd that Leader Murphy and
his friends. will work hard for his Sc
lection. Whether the democrats
throughout the country at large can
be sufficiently impressed with McCar-
ren's fitness for the place is matter
of doubt. 1t is believed that the south
ern and western democrats would
much prefer man better known to
the country at large and it is more
than possible that this sentiment is
McCarren supporters.
Aside from the reorganization con-
ference tonight's banquet at Sherrys
will be Of national Importance in itself
Mr.. Cleveland'S acceptance of an 1nvi-
tation to speak is taken to mean that
t1le banquet VIII marx tne formal
opening of the democratic national
There has been a twofold
plan in the minds Of the promoters of
the banquet first, to start the national
along sagacious and con-
servative lines, and second, to bring
the new mayor Of New York into fur
ther national prominence. not that
there is any intention of grooming
him for the presidential nomination
this year, for that, in the minds of the
democratic leaders, would weaken the
Tammany organization by taking Col.
Mcclellan from the mayors chair.
For this reason all of the best
known democrats of the United States. |
men like Senator German of Maryland
and Richard Olney of Massachusetts.
have been sought as guests, and the
speeches to be made tonight will pur-
posely outline the most advisable lines
Of battle for the impending campaign. |!