The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-07-10
Eastern State dominates
Judge George Gray for
The Presidency.
AN lLLUsTRIOUS DEMOCRAT
FORMER CONGRESSMAN IRVING
HANDY PRAISES THE WORK OF
DELAWARE CANDIDATE IN HIS
NOMINATING SPEECH.

In presenting to the convention the
name of George Gray, of Delaware,
former Congressman Irving Handy
said
MIR. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
Convention:
II have a duty to perform, placed
upon me by the democracy Of the state
from which | come. In the perform
ance of that duty, my neart leaps with
pleasure.
Because of his ability. because of
his patriotism, because of the maturity
of his judgment, because OF his devo-
ton to true democratic principles, be-
cause of the width and depth OF his ex-
perience in governmental affairs, and
because of his devotion to justice and
to the constitution, the man who is
best fitted to perform the duties of
president Of the United States is
George Gray AS a general rule the
man best fitted for the place is most
available for the nomination.
IF you are to nominate man be-
cause he is eager to be president, you
will not name Judge Gray. There
are other candidates who want this
nomination more than he does. This
man is as modest as he is great. Am
bition is the last weakness of great
minds, and ambition is the greatest
danger the people have to fear in rul-
ers. Judge Gray is a public servant
without personal ambition. In this
he is like our first and greatest presi-
dent.
IF you are to nominate the man
whom. you personally love the best,
perhaps you may nominate some other
candidate: for | am not unmindful OF
the personal devotion which delegates
here present cherish for other candi-
dates. But the question we are now
ty and our country to be decided be-
cause of personal preferences.
THE republican party has been in
power too long. The government has
grown corrupt, extravagant and auto
cratic. and the prosperity of the people
has taken unto itself wings and, flown
away. Free Institutions exist III order
that at such a time as this the country
may peaceably change its rulers and
change its policies.
Entering on a political campaign in
which victory or defeat means sc
much, we are now to select the polite
al chieftain who shall carry our ban
ner and marshal our forces If the
country were in great war, in which
a decisive battle was to be fought ant
the duty fell upon me to choose the
general who should command oul
country's army in the field, l woulc
not dare to put in command the gen
eral whom | loved the best, nor the
one who was the most eager. Neithe'
would you. The responsibility woult
be overwhelming to choose the coldie
whose genius for war, shown by hi
record and experience. gave the bes
prospect of winning victory. You
would not hesitate to refuse promo
ton and opportunity TO your own broth
err, if there were available another sol
der who gave greater promise of win
ming the fight
In like spirit I ask you to put asid
all personal preferences, and to choos
calmly and prudently the democra
who can most surely win a democrat
ic victory in November. Possibl,
any one of the candidates suggeste
may be able to win at the polls.
hope so. But our plain duty is to nom
mate, not candidate who may wiz
81 Sofa hn ma
ly win We contend for too great
prize TO take any unnecessary chance
of defeat.
Our candidate must be one who ca
command the support of our party an
at the same time attract the support c
independent citizens who are not strie
party men. We may as we'll face tn
fact that a majority vote in this coul
try is always made up of the part
vote REINFORCED by the votes OF lars
body of independent citizens. Hent
successful candidate for presideI
must do more than hold the loyalty {
his partisans. He must, in addition
command the confidence and win til
support of people who care nothing fe
party. Party opinion is a great thin
and must be considered, but publ
opinion is greter things and must
oheyed. Nominate George Gray an
public opinion will say that We hay
proposed man whose intellectual an
moral stature towers to the standaI
set by the greatest and wisest pres
dents in our history.
George Gray's life has been one lor
and unselfish service of the people
high places, Attorney general of h
state, Il great senator of the Unite
States for many years, treaty maxi
for the nation. the most successful a
bitratc- CT disputes between labor al
capital who ever lived, and now, in h
later years, a great and learned juds
his merit has won the confidence al
good will of the whole people.
In the senate he was ever in u
fore front of weighty debate. char
pioning with eloquent logic the prime
pies of Democracy, In making 4
treaty with Spain he was the one COZ
missioner who stood true to the dc
trine of human liberty and protest
against taking the Philippines al
stranDinc imDerialiSm uDon the ShoI