New-York tribune., 1907-06-23
ANOTHER DEMOCRATIC NOSES.

We called attention about ten days ago to some
circumstantial evidence which seemed 10 indicate
that the man whom Colonel Henry Natterson
had picked out TO displace Mr.. Bryan and iead
the Democratic hosts to victory next year was
none other than the versatile and redoubtable
Jim Ham Lewis. once of Seattle and now OF
Chicago. Mr.. Lewis seemed to fit in every detail
the description given Of the unknown Moses, who
was clean able, approved and loyal aud whose
hair still defied the frosts OF cooling blood and
'on-creeping age Mr.. Lewis we guessed, was
the deus CT nGchinG to be sprung on the next
Democratic National Convention, because all his
life long he had been leaplng into the deadly
imminent breach and leading causes which 9th
erwise might have been msprZed as futile and
hopeless. His impulses, his temperament and
his programme matched SO exactly those Of the
Chivalrous eX-cOniidant and guardian Of "the
star-eyed goddess that their association in the
labor of saving the Democratic party seemed
almost preordained and predestined. Both IA
vOred a return 10 the Constitution and the
abandonment of political "fads and fancies."
AS Mr.. Lewis said in a recent heart to heart
communication TO the readers of The Courier
Journal:
The American people are practical and seek
practical results. They not interested in mere
essays or abstract government [Mr. Bryan
discourses on federalism and aristOcracy and on
the lnltldtlNe ana referendum. Tor instance !.
The people want visible return for political
investment They have grown tired of fads and
fanatics.
Mr.. Lewis was willing to run, and Colonel
Watterson 10 run him, on a ''crisp and simple
platform like Back to the Constitution" or
even 10 follow the iluStriOuS example once set
by the Wing party and do without any platform
ct all. But it appears now that there are
others ready to qualify as condenSers of Demo
4. ~,
pie irreduclble and practical in political life
The Hon. John A. Johnson. the Democratic Gov
ernor of Minnesota. in speech at Philadelphia
on Wednesday clearly put himself in line for
second choice as the figurehead in Colonel Wat
tersons receivership and redemption enterprise
lie also lives north of the Potomac and west
OF the Alleghanies"; is clean, able. approved
and. loyal" has gray hairs. or not enough to
disqualify him. and, better even than Mr. Lewis.
satisfies Colonel Wattersons supplementary
declaration that the party savior he has in
LIND has already enjoyed more political houors
'than Abraham Lincoln enjoyed up To the time
"of his first election TO the Presidency" Gov
ernor johnson seems also willing TO abiure
"fads and fanatics" and to go back to funda-
mentals. In his speech at the commencement
exercises Of the University of Pennsylvania he
laid down this basic party principle
This is a government of the people for all Of
the people, and the sovereignty Of the people
must be supreme. No man, no interest no class
is greater than the law of the land; and if our
Republic is TO endure-and it will endure-the
power must reside equally in the sovereign many
in accord with the fundamental principles OF
1776 and 17S9
This would have been a good enough Wing
platform in 1910 1t is good enough Demo
cratic platform now. Colonel Watterson NAV
not have written IT, but are sure that lie
will indorse it. He must also be immensely
cheered and relieved TO know that if anything
untoward befalls the Hon. Jim Ham" Lewis
before the meeting Of the next Democratic Ma
honal Convention, he has in Governor Johnson
an understudy amply qualified to relieve Mr.
Bryan of the necessity If making the Presiden
q RAJ