The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-08
.IS N, ]. BRYAN THE ONLY POSSIBLE MAN2 Should South Support Him for
 Third Time? GRAY'S QUALIFICATIONS Haeeard Gives Short Sketch of the Political Career of Delaware Man
 Who Has Always Been
 Faithful.
GRAY's QUALIFICATIONS
BY sEwELL HAeeARD.

BY SEWELL HAGGARD. New York, December 7.-(Special.)-A though it is well known to politicians that William Jennings Bryan will be the nominee of the democratic party for President. unless death or some condl- tion that now can scarcely be imagined tntervenes, they continue to discuss In a half-hearted way the names of other men who might be nominated. This dis cussion is kept alive by those who are familiar with the situation in the east and feel as certain as 1t is possible to feel about anything in politics that MT. Bryan will not get the electoral vote or a single eastern state If this is taken for granted then it is absolutely cer- tain that MT. Bryan, though the demo- cratic party nominates him, will never be President of the United States. This is not being said. in this correspondence in a spirit of hostility to MT. Bryan The facts as they stand are being rec orded solely as a matter of public inter- est and with the full knowledge that the south adnires MT Bryan and that per- haps every southern state will send It's delegates to the national democratic con- vention instructed to vote for him.
 This is a compliment that few men have ever received. It is practically mes sage to him that i've are for you though we know you are to lead forlorn hope. It is useless to discuss MT. Bryan's is- sues. He has discussed them and The Age Herald, which is for him, has often presented them to it's readers. It is true that many democrats of standing in their party are convinced that he is too ex- treme. It is also true that he num- bers supporters by the thousand who are with him body and soul, but they are not great enough in numbers to place him in the White House The only purpose of these few lines is to put the ques- ton squarely up to the voters of the south: Is it wise and does the situation demand the nomination of a man by the democratic party who according to the best information obtainable and predic- tions based thereon by the most sub stantial leaders of the party, has not the remotest chance of victory? If there IS no other man available, who represents in truth and sincerity the real principles of democracy, then it is unquestonaby the wise course to nominate MT. Bryan. But men who have the best interests of the party in mind, even friends of the peerless orator of the west. declare that there are other candidates available
 One of these men is Judge George Gray of Delaware, man who has ever been
  fender of conservative principles This reference to Judge Gray is not intended as an assertion that he is an available candidate, but it may be interesting to repeat some of the arguments of his friends in their attempts to show that there is at least one man better qualified to lead the party than the man who has twice led it to defeat. The New York Times recently printed an excellent story of Judge Gray's life and from this the following facts are taken:
 Juage Gray's career from the time of his admission to the bar of Delaware in 1863 has been a constant upward march. He has never sought politics, pol itcs has sought him. He has always been found at national conventions as a loyal citizen, obedient to the mandates of the party which held his political allegiance. It was at the national dem ocratic convention at Cincinnati in 18S0 where Hancock became the choice of his party for President, that he first came into prominence. The convention was a par ticuarly stormy one. Tammany had been unseated in spite of report of the com mittee on credentials in its favor. The decisions of the chairman of the conven- tion were most unparlamentary, and Bedlam reigned When the state of Della ware was reached in the roll call, there arose in the midst of the hall a big
 
 who forced his way slowly to the plat form.
 His voice had both deep and silvery notes, and those who at first did not wish to listen listened in spite of them selves. He placed in nomination Thomas F. Bayard for President of the United States. As he began to speak silence fell upon the mob, which had been howl ing and screaming a moment before like a m1ltftude pf wild hpasts He loolxad youthful, but he looked magnificent, too, and sternly impressive. He was in dead ly earnest, animated by ingrained loyalty to principle and by admiration and deep devotion for the man In whose favor he spoke.
 "Gentlemen." he said, "our candidate is no carpet knight rashly put forth to flash a maiden sword in this great con test. He is a veteran, covered with the scars of many a hard-fought battle where the principles of constitutional liberty have been at stake, in an arena where the giants of radicalism have been his foes.''
 Those words were the keynote of the speech. and they were heard with a rapt attention rare in any political assembly. It fixed instantly upon Gray the eyes of the practiced observers of political life, and made him a marked man to be taken into account in all partisan combinations of the future.
 The second great impression made by Gray outside of the immediate circle of Delaware's interests was when he was occupying the place long held before him by Bayard in the United States Senate. Indeed, this is probably the most dra- matic episode of his whole life. He be- came the forlorn hope of both the denl- ocrats and the few republicans in the Senate who disliked the radical force bll' which the Harrison administration, with it's compact partisan phalanx in Con- gress. was striving to impose upon the people. So distasteful was this measure to many republicans, and 50 little would 1t bear close scrutiny and analysis. that the administration machine in Congress had adopted the policy of defending or discussing it as little as possible. so far as their side of tho argument was con-