Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-05-08
PICKING The PRESIDENT.
CONTINUED from First Pagc)

convention of 1896 as the most event.
full in the party history.
Before the convention met, Richard
p. Bland, of Missouri, was the leading
candidate. with Robert +. Pattison,
of Pennsylvania; Horace Boies, of
Iowa; Joseph S. c. Blackburn, of
Kentucky, and John r. Mclean, of
Ohio, holding strong support. Will
liam j. Bryan was hardly considered
for the nomination.
On the second day of the conven-
ton was fought the momentous battle
between the supporters of free sill
yer" and sound money" In debate
w. ]. Bryan delivered an eloquent or
alton directed against the Sound
money faction, in which he spoke
these words: You shall not crush
down upon the brow of labor this
crown of thorns, You shall rot cru
city mankind upon a cross of gold!'
The speech made him a candidate.
The first ballot resulted: Bland, 2S5;
Bryan, 119; Pattison, 95; BOies, So;
Blackburn, SO; Mclean 54. The re-
naming votes were scattered among
ten candidates. One hundred and
seventy-eight refused to vote. Bry-
ans vote increased steadily, and on
the fifth ballot he received SIS, six
ty-siX more than the necessary two
thirds, and was declared the nomi-
nee.
1t is a truism in practical politics
that sentiment may elect a man,
but it never gets him the nomination"
The practical politician does not
ask, will he make n good PRESIDENT"
good candidate?'
Qualifications of the Nominees.
The following qualifications are
generally considered necessary for. a
presidential candidate:
First: He must be of presidential
size" which is to say that his party
must feel sure that he will not show
himself ridiculously incompetent af-
ter Inauguration.
Second: He must be man of the
hour" In other words, he must have
had recent wide advertisement be-
cause of some personal act or series
of creditable acts and accomplish
mentS which are likely to arouse the
high respect or impulsive admiration
Of the masses Of the people.
Third The leaders of his party
must have reasonable assurance that,
if elected, he will not upset the party
Organization" but will hold to the
party traditions and distribute the
patronage" among the members of
the party organization.
There are other qualifications, not
so essential as the first three. His
public record for honesty and good
judgment should not be vulner-
able; and, in lesser degree, his pri-
vate character should be honorable.
His home should be located in a state
against which the least amount Of
sectional prejudice may be aroused.
His social and religious affiliations
should be such as Will not antagoniZe
large bodies of the voters. If, in ad-
ditiOn, he be a great orator and pos
seSs much personal magnetism, his
chances for the nomination are much
enhanced.
In practise, the influence of any
national administration in power di-
rected toward the control of a ma
tional convention is the greatest
measurable factor in national pol
iticS
On June 80, 1906, there were
eighty-siX thousand, six hundred and
ninety-two excepted and non-com-
petitive" positions in the United
States government service. A small
proportion was filled by women. The
great number had been given to men
as a reward for past political service.
Federal Office Holders.
The men and women who fill these
positions are known colloquially as
Federal office-holders. They are
altogether distinct from the one hun
dred and eighty-five thousand who
hold competitive positions under the
civil-service laws, and who are not
indebted to any political party for
their appointment.
The following figures from the Of
fetal reports for 1906 show the num-
Der of Federal office-holders in the
leading classes:
Postmasters fourth class, $3.50;
third class, 4,524; second class, 1,4O3;
first class, 316. (The president per-
sonally makes the appointments of
first, second, and third class post
masters; the postmaSter-ge
names the fourth class.)
Pension agency service, 4,3SS; In
dian service, 1851; thermal revenue
service, 1882; Qua .'termaster's de-
partment at large. 1.144: Agricultur-
al department, 1,161; Department of
justice, III; Public health and ma
rine hospital service, 613; Isthmian
canal commission, 5,057.
The power of Republican Federal
office-hOlders in a Republican con-
vention is greater that that of Demo
cratic Federal oftice-hOlders in q
Democratic convention. To illustrate;
Mississippi in the presidential cleo
tion of 1904 cast 53,376 Democratic
votes and 3,1S7 Republican votes.
South Carolina cast $3.50 Demo-
cratic and 1854 Republican votes.
The Federal office-hOlders in both
states were Republican. In the COM
ing Republican national convention
Mississippi will have twenty delegates
and South Carolina eighteen dele
gates. controlled presumably by the
Federal office-holders.
On the other hand. Vermont in the
| last presidential election cast 4O,459
Republican and 9.GI1 Democratic
votes. Maine cast 64.432 Republican
and 27.641 Democratic. The coming
Democratic national convention will
| have twelve delegates from Maine and
eight from Vermont. If the Federal
officeholderS i'm these states were Dem
ocratic, it is probable that they would
| largely influence the delegations in
normal conditions. but not so largely
as the Republican Ottice-hOlderS in
the southern states
The following table shows the cleo
toral vote. based on the last appor-
tionment of congressman. adopted by
the house of representatives on Jan
uary s. 1901. The electoral vote of
etc pGn1l the mhpr of