The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-08
HoBSoN'S BIG AMBITION.

1t would be the irony OF fate If the
present movement from the Southern
States in the interest of Capt. Rich
mona Pearson Hobson, as n Presidcn-
tial candidate of the Democratic party
were to be effective. More than forty
years have elapsed since the war, and
the South has never asserted it's right
OF preponderatlng power In the Democ-
racy. but has yielded the nomination
with each recurring four years to the
Northern States In that time many
splendid figures have arisen and some
of them are now at the zenith of their
glory In public life; but there has al
ways been the unwritten but imprcGna-
BILE rule that no Southerner need apply
at the Democratic National convention
Recently Capt. Hobson. in a stirring
personal campaign defeated, In the Ala
bama primaries for the Congressional
nomination OF his party, the veteran
John Hollis Rankhead. who has repre-
scnted the Sixth district OF that State
in the National House of Representa-
tives for nearly twenty years with con-
SDlCuOuS utNolloU W us uulN' Ihio i'''S
service, his equipment of native ability
and invaluable experience were OF no
| avail in the controversy with the young
| and sensational Hobson. who won on
his plea for a big navy and on the in
| terest aroused in him as the idol of
| a maritime matinee performance. AL
ready his supporters for the Presiden-
| tial nomination have begun their nego-
tlations with the New York politicians
OF his party and he Is being seriously
| considered as a proper successor to
President Roosevelt whom, IT Is de-
| clared he closely resembles In charac-
| ter.
| Passing the claim of resemblance to
| the President Of the United States.
which is a mere assumption, there is
nothing known of Capt. Hobson which
! ustfies the belief that he VIII be even
a successful Congressman He has had
no training In public questions. His
| ambition to go to Congress is not to be
taken necessarily as an indication of
! unfitness although in the South. more
| than anywhere else In the country, IL Is
not a good advertisement OF character
! to attempt, for personal and sensation
al reasons, to displace an old and tried
member of Congress whose service has
been emInently useful and satisfactory
to his people But the vain and foolish
| aspiration to be named for the Presi-
dency indicates fatal flaw In the Hob
son character. He was ruined by the
notoriety which came to him after the
sinking OF the Merrimac-an exploit,
heroic in its intention. but happily use
less IN its results, for the Spanish fleet
came out of the harbor and a glorious
| chapter was added to American naval
history.
| Hobson evidently wants to keep be-
fore the American people all the time
and the amazing part of his career is
that the South should take him serl-
ously With Joseph Weldon Bailey ir
the Senate, easily the peer of any liv-
ing Democrat n statesman by instinct
and by training. profoundly versed In
history and constitutional law. a big
American; the South only proves her
general unfitDess to have a candidate
for the Presidency. by showing a feal
that Bailey would be unacceptable tc
the North and by showing a belief that
Hobson as q hero. could carry Tho
country as successor to President
| Roosevelt