The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-25
WHAT MIR. CLEVELAND MEANT

The Pensacola News can hardly be
called a convert to the theory that d
Southern man should not be nominated
for President, and thus argues:
For many years expediency has caused
the Democratic Party to look to locality
quite as much as to personal merit IN Sc
iecting its Presidential candidates.. Mr
Cleveland advises that this practice pc
discontinued, and the right man be select
ed without regard 70 the state ne ma, may
of this same opinion for long time. we
want TO see the best man nominated.
whether he IL from Texas or Massachu-
sets.
Certainly no one can wish more earn
estly and sincerely than the Advertiser
does that conditions were such that
Southern man would not be considered un-
der a ban when Presidential possibilities
are being considered. 1t is by no means
creditable to US as people, or to our
system of Government that large sec
ton of the country. containing some Of
the very finest specimens of American
citizenship and statesmanship. should be
regarded as sealed territory so far as
Presidential timber IL concerned. but the
fact nevertheless remains that any talk
of nominating an old Confederate, or
younger sympathizer. would be a red rag
to a majority OF Northern people.
Perhaps we are only getting paid back
for our monopoly Of the ONCE before the
war, for of the seventy-two years Of
our Governmental existence prior to that
event. Southern men occupied the Presi-
Dental chair about fifty. Indeed. taking
the entire life of our Government. South
ern men. or men born in the South, have
held the Presidency about half the time.
This might be considered a very equable
division. but It does not change the fact
that the two sections have been reunited
nearly forty years. and that 1t is not
thought expedient to nominate Southern
man by either Party.
But in politics, as in some other affairs
Of life, We are to be governed by condl-
tons and not by our wishes, or even our
conceptions of fairness and justice. II
we fail to get what we want, we may do
the next best thing and take what we
can get. IN LnlS case VIC Can SNLL oAV"
sectionalism to keep up its bars without
depriving us OF the power to select
good man for our candidate. There are
good men and good Democrats North Of
the old dividing line and We should Sc
lect one of them, without regard to the
State of his residence. This is what we
understand Mr.. Cleveland to mean when
he advises the Party to disregard locality
and select the best man. Whether that
man lives in a Republican State or a
Democratic one in the East or the West,
If he possesses the proper qualifications
let him be chosen. That, We take it, is
good politics and good policy. The prop
er man to nominate may live in a hope
lessly Republican State, but 1t might be
that he would be stronger than any man
we could find In a surely Democratic
State.
And so, much as We may insist on the
justice of disregarding sectional lines,
and much as we might feel gratified at
the selection Of Southern man. we are
not in favor of gratifying our pride at
the expense Of success. Let us try to
get good Democrat who can win, wheth-
er he comes from Massachusetts, New
Jersey or some hopelessly Republican
State