Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-11
EXPLAINS HIS ACTION
Bourke Cochran Talks of st.
Louis Incidents.
STOPPED ON WAY HOME
TELLS REPORTER WHY HE DE-
CLINED TO SPEAK.
Could Not Prophesy Victory and
Would Not Foreten Defeat-Parker's
Message Changed Situation.
STOPPED ON WAY HOME

NEW YORK, July 1.-THE Associated
Press today received the following tele-
| gram from Bourke Cochran, dated Indian
| apolis. July TO- explaining his declination
to address the national democratic conven-
| tion at St. Louis:
| Il left St Louis yesterday at IL 40 be-
, cause as matters then stood did not want
| to be In the convention when nominations
! for Vice President were reached.
Calls for me to make a speech. which
| had been made repeatedly on prior days,
would very likely be renewed at the final
! session, and at the time l could not truth
| fully assure the convention that Judge
| Parker had in my opinion the faintiest
| prospect of success. I have made il a rule
| to never say public platform anything
| which | would not repeat in the witness
! chair. l could not prophesy victory, and I
| would not foretell defeat. Silence was
| therefore the only course open, and the best
way to pursue it was by absence.
Learned Situation at indianapolis.
when / reached Indianapolis was hand
| ed telegram from Charles +. Murphy, in
| forming me of Judge Parker's message to
! Gov. Sheehan and urging me to return inn
| mediatey.
I'm instant the whole situation was
| changed. The prospect which had been
| black with signs Of disaster at once be-
| came splendid with promises of victory.
For many months | had been preaching
that the success of the democratic party
| this year involved the continuance Of con-
stitutional government in this country.
| This view expressed In the resolution
| submitted to the state convention last
| April by the Tammany members, and L
| think it is shared by every thoughtful man
| in the country. The one thing absolutely
essential to democratic success is leader.
Clevelands Availability.
It'll now no one possessing anything like
availability was conspicuous except Mr.
| Cleveland. To him there were weighty OBJ
| iections His age is advanced. Many poll
| ticians believe there is widespread obJec-
| ton to giving any man. however wise or
yirtuous more than two terms in the pres-
dencv The antagonisms which he has pro-
yoked are numerous and bitter sun ms
running 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 eA-
citing contest. .o m
uneouivocaI acknowledgment that the
money question was settleo Were the W. W.
objects to which the Tammany deiesaloh
confined the efforts of its members
eft appeared quite early that the nrst OK
these was wholly impossible. TO accom-
plish the second we felt it was only neces-
sarv that the delegates from all the DOUBT
full states should demand it firmly as con-
dition absolutely necessary to success.
Resolution Suppressed.
"At the meeting of the New York delega-
ton on Tuesday morning resolution 10
this effect offered by me, was suppressed
by a parliamentary maneuver. After IL had
been agreed by the leaders to eliminate an
reference to the money question L again
moved that the New York delegation oner
as an amendment in the convention the
financial plank submitted by Senator Hin
to the committee on resolutions. out inc
motion was rejected by vote of % to ~
of the delegates.
"Jynder these circumstances. the nomina-
ton of Judge Parker, who was without any
record on the coinage question, except that
he had voted twice for Mr. Bryan, seemed
to preclude the slightest hope that he would
receive even as many electoral votes as
Mr.. Bryan polled in 1900.
Pusillanimity of Managers.
But this very pusillanimty Of his man.
ayers, which led them to surrender their
own convictions and to stife every attempt
of the New York city delegates even to
voice the opinions of their constituents on
this momentous question: furnlshed Judge
Parker with opportunity which he has
improved decisively.
1T has revealed him to the people Of this
country almost in an instant as a great
leader-the greatest of this generation; an
honest man. the most impressive in dis
playing that virtue that have ever known.
either through experience or reading-a
courageous man, of such Incompatible
courage that he willing to throw
away not merely the hope or prospect OF a
nomination, but an actual nomination for
the presidency, rather than stoop to an eva
sion or equivOcation on a matter of prin-
ciple.
Predicts Parker's Election.
'I who had left st. Louis before the final
adjournment, as the only way to avoid
being placed in a position where 1 must
have told the convention that Judge Parker
could not in my opinion, escape crushing
defeat, on the receipt of Mr. Murphys mes
sage at once ordered special train and
hastened back because l then felt free to
tell the members, IL they still desired to
hear from me- that on the new platform,
which he himself had made, he would be
overwhelmingly elected.
when my train arrived, at In the
morning, the convention had completed ita
work. but If l had been present could not
have made a single suggestion which would
have made an Improvement on its course.
Indeed, the admirable temper displayed by
the men who at first blush might have con-
sdered themselves belttled aggrieved
by the sngularly Independent course Of
their candidate, is one of the most auspi-
cious features under which the campaign
opens.