Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-11-20
New EngIand's Prominent Democrat.

"Ray,nond," the Washington CORE
spondent of the Chicago Tribune. as
suming that the Democrats cannot
help nominating Bryan i'm 1908. in
duiges in some interesting speculation
as to the man who will be selected for
the second place on the ticket. Plain
" he must be from the East. Pre-
sumably an octogenarian will not be
named. as in 1904. Who will be the
victim? The Tribune correspondent
says that Mayor Mcclellan. once hailed
as a son Of destiny. is now out of it.
He says that Tom johnson has shot
his bolt and is too near Bryan
geographically. After putting aside
a dozen Others he finally decides that
Lieutenant Governor Chanler of New
York is the most available. In reach
ing this conclusion he makes the re-
mark that New England has no
prominent Democrat now" Here is
where "Raymond' stirs up Il hornets
nest without waiting for New Eng
felsn the indianapolis News proceeds
to say things worth reading regarding
tie brightest light of all the lumi-
naries of the New England Democ-
rdcy Says the News:
For what is George Fred Williams il
he is not "a prominent Democrat?
George Fred is always prominent-hc
has been prominent for many years
Prominence is his most characteristic
trait He can not be obscurcd. The
shaded paths of retirement have never
echoed to his football. He looms over
the commonwealth of Massachusetts
like the gilded dome of the State House
From the scarlet-clad forests of the
BerkShires to the barren sands of Cape
COD the name Of Williams is a house
hold word Like the shot fired at
Lexington he echoes round the world.
He vas the leader of the 'eE,battled
rowGies" who StOrmed the Springfield
convention which nominated candi-
date that could rot get his name on
the Democratic ticket. Not only So.
bat he won further fame by rejoicing
in the defeat of the regular Demo-
cratic nominee. and predicting 4 united
Democracy as the result of the knitting
operations 50 splendidly carried
through by his followers, friends and
admirers.
There is no more 'prcmnent Demo-
crat' in the world than George Fred
There could not be- for he has at
taired the perfection of prominence.
and nothing can be more perfect than
perfection. Yet Raymond" passes
him by. ignores him. wholly fails to
see him. We do not say that Mr..
Williams would make good candi-
date for the presidency. That is
not the question. No such issue is
now presented. He may be lacking ir
some qualities, may have other quail
ties in excess. But we do say that
he can not thus be eliminated by Ray
moEd" or by any one else on the
ground that he is deficient in prOmi-
nence. If that is desirable or ne
cessary quality in a candidate Mr.. Will
lams has all of it there is. The sur
rrising thing is that the Tribune's cor
respondent should have failed to think
of George Fred. 1t is like viewing
the landscape from the backyard of
the White House and failing to see the
Washington monument. The observer
might MT think it a good monument.
might quarrel with its art. might feel
that Il ere We're certain functions that
it could not perform, but he certainly
would have to admit that it is "promi-
nent." 1t is precisely SO with Will
liamS IF Massachusetts.