The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-03-08

The Atlanta Constitution of March
contains an article by Hon. John S.
Beard, of Pensacola, in advocacy OF
the nomination of a southern man for
president by the democratic party in
1903.
Mr.. Beard was one of the Florida
delegates TO the st. Louis convention
in 1904 and attracted considerable at
teniOn there by his prominence in the
effort TO nominate Hearst, his speech
secOnding Hearst's nomination being
one of the notable utterances of the
occasion Mr. Boards letter to the
Constitution follows:
A Southern Candidate.
Editor Constitutional number Of
leading papers throughout the south.
and, in fact, in other sections of the
union, are now discussing the advisi-
bility and expediency of the demOc-
racy nominating a southern man for
the presidency in 1903.
My recollection is that The COnsti-
tuition originated this move, as lar
back as in 1904. You will, trust, al.
low me the space in your columns TO
give my views upon this subject, which
is Of such vast magnitude and so preg-
nant with interest not only to the
south, but 10 the entire country. l.
is, l think, full time that each south,
ern state should assert her perfect
and entire equality with every other
state in the union. Not since 1860 has
citizen of a southern state been plac-
ed upon a national democratic ticket,
and the longer this condition exists
the more difficult it will be to change,
and if continued for another half cen
fury it will ripen into a national pre-
cedent that no southern state is to
furnish a president of the United
States, nor yet a nominee for the pres
idenCy. Under such a ban the south
ern states are not the equals of the
other states. If it be objected that
nominee from a southern state can,
not be elected, that in itself is a dec
laratiOn that the southern states are
under ban that destroys their consti-
tutiOnal equality with the other states
of the union.
We also reply to the objection that
a southern man cannot be elected,
that, since 1860, the nominees of DEM
OcraCy for the presidency have come
from the north, and except in 1896
and 1900, from the state of New York.
Since 1860. except in 1896 and 1900,
the east alone has dictated democra-
tic platforms and democratic nOmina-
tons, and the south, almost alone,
has done the democratic voting. In
all of these years, under eastern die
tatfOn and leadership, and in 1896 and
1900 under western leadership, the
ticket has been elected only twice, in
1884 and 1892; and evely good demo-
crat today deplOres the election of the
ticket in 1892, which proved TO be not
a democratic victory, as we had fond
" hoped, but the triumph Of the
finesse of Belmont, Morgan ct al, over
both political parties and the great
mass of the American electorate. The
administration of 1S93-1S97 has prov
en- a more severe blow TO democracy
than was the support of Greeley in
1872, and the preceding and succeed
ing defeats combined
Objections Of the East.
The nomination Of a southern man
cannot possibly be a greater harbinger
of democratic defeat than has the
nomination of a southern man proven
TO be for the past (nearly) fifty years.
Of course eastern politicians will in
siSt that the time is not oppOTtune
for the nomination of a southern man;
but our confidence in the leadership
and the political representations of
the east should be somewhat impair
ed in the light of the past fifty years.
Il is only necessary to recall the con-
fident predictions and loud promises
Of democratic victory made by the
east in 1904, il the St. Louis conven-
ton would only nominate Judge Par
ker. Well. the convention nominated
Judge Parker, and, though he tele-
graphed a plank into the platform,
which the convention had rejected, but
which eastern statesmen CD thought
essential TO success, the November
election was not a democratic victory
The eastern democracy will object
to the nomination OF a southern man,
because the east knows that a
southern statesman, if elected, cannot
be used, as an eastern man can be. if
elected, in furtherance Of the none
tary and commercial enrichment Of