Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-06
missouri pHMocRATIc plDoFS

MISSOURI DEMOCRATIC DlDOES
The Democrats of Missourt-now, alas reduced in
number to brutal minority" since the advent Of Joe
Fok-have evidently determined that the eyes Of the
world upon them and that they are expected to
name the next Democratic nominee for president Hence
they have begun serious controversy among themselves
as to the candidate they will select.
We gather from interviews in the st. Louis Post.
Dispatch and from editorials in the Globe Democrat that
the old Missouri Democracy has been somewhat dis
rupted and that there at least three kinds of
Missouri Democrats, each kind carefully labeled so
as not to get mixed with the other kind
First and foremost, as OF old in Missouri there is
the Bryan kind This element seems to be still repre-
sented by United States Senator Stone his following
These are the true blue blownInthebottle, sxteento
They are the giants who in 1894 overthrew the
"goldbug" organization in the state and declared in
favor Of Dick Bland for president These all for
Bryan now they have been for ol these many years.
and doubtless always will be- They appear be the
bone and slnew of Missouri Democracy-or at least
what is left Of it. They constitute the Old Guard,
unhappily out Of Office, but waiting sharply for the next
turn Of the wheel
Second in Importance is the socaed "goldbug'
element fairly and ably represented by Hon. David r.
Francis, ex-governor member Of Clevelands cabinet
and president Of the Louisiana Purchase exposition.
The st. Louis papers announce that Grover Cleveland
and other eastern Democrats urging Francis to per-
NIT the use Of his a presidential candidate.
Everybody in Missouri likes Dave Francis, the man,
but there are fierce rumblings in the Ozark hills and
among the old rebel counties whenever his preferment
as Democrat Is suggested. He is rich and powerful
he has fought Bryan-nsde the party-at all stages of
the contest but of late has stood aloof from all the
political battles in Missouri
Last-because the newest the strangest and the
most uncerain-is the Folk kind People outside Of
Missouri are beginning slowly to understand that Mis-
souri, Democrats do not consider Folk very much of
Democrat He elected governor by Republican
votes made his campaign largely with the help of Re-
pubcans and while he successful all the rest of
the Democratic ticket defeated Folk, in power,
has strong official folowing he is reported also to
have a popular following which embraces some of
all parties His appointees declaring in the public
print that he is available timber for president on the
anti-graft platform
Just here the Missouri Democrats begin to squabble
The Bryan element is not favorable to Folk yet the
Folk appointees announce that Bryan will not only not
be candidate for the presidential nomination but has
agreed to support Folk for that honor The Francis
element is against Folk the ground that he is not
The Cockrel element sides with the Francis element
and the hulabaoo of the debate sounds away here
in California like the green dance of the Moaves
in Death valley.
Now, if Missouri has had call to the next
presidential nominee all this is important But If she
is only cutting ddoes in order attract attention
she should be warned by nearby friend to Ego
way back and sit down." She let Roosevelt carry the
state at the last election she allowed its Democracy to
frizzle up before onslaught of Republican hum
buggery and jugglery and drop clear out the Demo-
cratic column whereby Senator Cocrel was retired and
Republican elected. She is guilty of haying made a
monkey of herself" and she should come to the next
national Democratic convention in saccloh and ashes
content to be "a doorkeeper in the house Of the Lord"
or sit in the tents at the side.