New-York tribune., 1907-10-06
DTSCOPD IN MASSACHUSETTS,.

Judging from the tempeStuous proceedings IN
yesterdays two-section Democratic convention
in Massachusetts. logic has been more or less
vindicated in the Bay State, although 1t mas
been considerably man-handled in the process
of vindication The Hon. Henry NJ. Whitney
has cOntended for some time past that he Is the
Democratic organizations normal, natural ana
provldentially appointed leader. and in offer-
ing himself the partys candidate for Gov
ernor he has confidently relied on the capacrF
of Massachusetts Democrats TO conform their
actions tc the dictates of reason. Mr.. Whitney
has stal1ed his fortunes on a sylloGism the
major premise of which is "A party should
always nominate the most available candi-
date and the minor premise, Il have them all
diStanced when it comes to real availability.
But logic is not always selfoperatiVe IN
poIitics Ii encounters checks. and its progress
often has TO be accelerated" Mr.. Whitney
enemies accuse him of being one Of the ablest
"acceerators' of nationality who ever entered
the arena of promotion and persuasion But
there are unfortunately the prejudiced ana un-
reasoning to be reckoned with, and their per
versty is likely 10 dim the triumphS even of
accelerated" logic. Inasmuch as only half, or
perhaps less than half. of the delegates to the
Springfield convention rallied 10 the side of
light and reason. and these had to flock apart
TO nominate Mr.. Whitney, while the more be
nighted simultaneously nominated General
Bartlett il is clear that logic won only partial
victory. But half victory is better than
rout and Mr. Whitney at least claim that
he has already half educated the Massachu-
setts Democracy in the uses and advantages
of the syllogism in politics.
The draw at Springfield seems 10 have been
fought out more or less lines indirectly In
volving Mr. Bryan's fortunes. The anti-Whit-
ney candidate, General Bartlett. stood pat
on the neo-Jeffersonan proposition that one
defeat as a Democratic nominee justities sec
Ond. third and possibly fourth or fifth candi-
dacy. General Bartlett champOned the idea OF
Difference to seniority and very gradual retire
ments. Mr.. Whitney. who was the junior part
ner on the Democratic state ticket in 1908
proposed TO jump his elder after one campaign
instead of waiting for him TO weary of activity
and retire graciously and voluntarily. But be-
yond that the forces behind Mr. Whitney have
been endeavOring TO get control of the delega-
ton to the next national convention in the in
terest of conservatism while General Bart
lett and the Hon. George Fred Williams are
fighting to recapture the party machinery and
throw the state next year TO Bryan and the
radical Bryan programme. AS the Independence
League has already a state ticket in the field
and the Democratic party has now two tickets,
talk of eecting a Democrat Governor is pre-
posterous. The only prize at stake is the con-
troll OF the organization and the national dele
gates Mr.. Whitney started out with the
boast that he would give Massachusetts free
entry into the Canadian markets whether Can
ada felt like cOnsenting not. He ends sim
ply trying to prevent an Endorsement by the
state Democracy of Mr.. Bryan's political pro-
gramme and third Presidential candidacy.