The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-13
is THE DEMOCRATIC ALTERNATIVE HEARST OR
CLEVELAND?

feel that the most effective way to fight
it Is to rally to the support OF Hearst
In Rhode Island his friends were able to
do this and their success there will en-
bclden them to try to secure the same
lining up everywhere. If they can sue
coed i'll making the issue Cleveland vs.
Hearst, the New York editor VIII be
| nominated, for most true Democrats will
vote for Hearst or any other straight
Democrat before they will permit the
boiler.
But there is no such alternative The
| Democratic party is not shut up to select
ing either the exPresident or the New
| York editor, though the champions of
both are striving to bring about just that
alternative III the party. The nomination
would bring about party anarchy. The
nomination of Hearst would drive away
the support of a large and desirable ele-
ment in the party. The country owes the,
editor obligations for the aggressive war
| fare his papers have made upon predatory
wealth and the aggressive support they
gave to the Democratic ticket in
1896 and in every subsequent campaign.
In appreciation of these services, they
| have given to Mr.. Hearsts papers a sup
port that is unprecedented But they do
not believe that Mr.. Hearst the man has
displayed craftsmanship of the high grade
that entities him to be made the national
header of the immortal Democracy. He is
in Congress, and if he shall there become
a leader among leaders, as Bryan did on
the Democratic side in a brief service, or
Mckinley on the Republican side in a
long Congressional career, the party will
,be ready to recognize his primacy. But
he has not yet given evidence in Congress
of such qualities as entitle him to ask the
highest honor of the party to which he
belongs. While his papers have rung
clear upon the greatest question-the trust
issue-Mr. Hearst has not in the councils
Of the party shown that craftsmanship
and capacity to lead men that the party
has required in ali the men who have hith-
erto been chosen to lead the great party.
He is in Congress, it is to be hoped he
will be given a long term there, and that
he will become as effective in generalship
there as his papers are aggressive and
vigorous Until he does that, the De
mocracy of the Republic will not be wise
to present him as its candidate for Chief
Magistrate. particularly in a campaign
when the highest wisdom demands the
nomination of a true-blue Democrat who
is SO related to the party and to the chief
issues as will make him an available Get
some man who is colorless and who has
no record and no known views, but to
some great Democrat who, while always
true to the party in every campaign, will
prove acceptable to every Democrat who
stands against special privilege, trusts
and all forms of class or selfish govern
|
the part of men who have never scratched
a ticket or faltered in loyalty to the party;
the feeling that he has not demonstrated
ability of the high order to be expected in
a Chief Magistrate; and the fear that he
would run away in the matter of over
grown naves, Panama canal enterprises,
| do al
ism as advocated in his papers, and be too
spectacular-these feelings and fears
scme of them doubtless groundless. enter
tanned by many trde and tried Democrats,
make the nomination of Mr.. Hearst in
1904, in our judgment, unwise and dan
gerous, and we regret that the aggressive
and progressive editor has asked an honor
which thousands, who admire much that
he has done in his papers, Will be CON
strained to feel should not be given him.
The Democratic party needs this year a
Conservative canddate-not a Retrogres-
sive candidate like Cleveland or Olney; not
|
Moreover, it needs man as standard bear
er who, while never failing to ring clear,
| has not made strong antagonists and IS
not factional on sectional, and is not domi-
mated by any wing of the party. Now
there are such men in the Democratic
party-men who have never worshipped
Baal have never crooked the pregnant
hinges of the knee that thrift may follow
| fawning,' have not gone off after false
gods or sulked in their tents. do not APP
peal to any particular class but to all
Americans, who are thoroughly grounded
in Democratic faith and stand against
the selfish aggressions of all who would
use government for private ends. Most of
the men of this character are not seeking
the nomination, they are not in the field
looking for delegates, they are at their