Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-23
PARKER'S MISTAKEN VIEW

cent tour of the south, appeared to lay
stress upon the idea that geographical
location would or should cut some
figure, as it may, in the next nomina-
tion of a Democratic candidate fol-
president of the United States. In his
opinion, expressed in a speech at Birln-
ingham, Ala, the candidate should
come from the south.
We fear that Judge Parker has made
mistake in assuming such an atu-
tude. Not because there would be any
prejudice against a southern Demo-
crat per Sc; that day has passed; but
because all the indications are that
the nominee must be truly and aggres-
sively representative of the platform
to be adopted, and that man is not
visible in any section of the south.
The platform, it is natural and
reasonable to assume, will be dis
tinctively western. 1t will doubtless
take an advanced position upon num-
ber of public questions which the
southern and eastern Democracy may
view with approval, but possibly not
with the enthusiasm that should char
acterize leadership. What this plat
form will be is, of course, matter
of conjecture, but nobody believes that
it will cover the same old ground, or
handy words, or split hairs, or con-
ceal the real meanings. 1t is the gen.
eral belief that it will be frank, cam
did positive and stand for something;
in other words that it will have about
it more of the breezy west, tempered
somewhat by the judicial calm of the
east and the conservative spirit of the
south.
1t will be a western platform and
will need a candidate from the west
to represent in his own personality
and public history not only the spirit
but the letter of every plank it con-
tans. Who that man may be is not
now apparent. He may be William
j. Bryan He might well be Franklin
K. Lane of California or any other
of a dozen names that could be mem
toned. But he will be a western man.
And Judge Parker has overlooked
another fact. The indications all are
that there will be in 1908 a surprising
segregation of the old party lines.
Men everywhere are becoming more
and more disposed to vote independ-
emily. 1t is a recognized fact already
that if it were not for the negro ques
ton the southern states might go
1t is another recognized
fact. on the other hand. that the pre-
north and west are large
ly disposed to leave the Republican
party because of it's adherence to
trusts and its support of corporate
wealth against popular interests. In
view of these facts the Democratic
party may we'll hope to carry the next
national elections-but only if it has
an aggressive, earnest platform and
an enthusiastic and popular candidate.
An eastern platform with a southern
candidate might not have any better
ending than the fateful campaign of
1904
Judge Parker and his conservative
friends were given every opportunity
at the last election. The result was
so wholly and deeply disastrous that
the party is not liable to repeat the
mistake. And while it was Roosevelt,
more than Republicanism, that de-
feated Judge Parker the lesson is
there People believed that Roosevelt
was better than his party; that he
popular rights and popu-
lar government, and that he would
stand up for them, even in face of
the dictates and demands fo his own
party organization. That was the
lesson of the last campaign.
Applying that lesson to the cam
paign of 1908, the Democratic nominee
must hold in his own person an
amount of confidence on the part of
the people that he represents them;
that he has burst the bonds of SYM
pathy with combined, organized and
predatory wealth and that he will
use all his strength to restore popular
government at Washington and in the
several states. People everywhere
have learned that mans estimate
of his own conduct-his view of right
and wrong-is Influenced by his en-
vironment. This it is that predeter-
mines certain men to leadership and
to success or failure.