The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-18
Thousands Gather At Biggest Occasion h History
 Of the City
HARMON AND CLARK ARE
 | CONSPICUOUS FIGURES
derwood Also Loom Up ns Sfrik- ing Percentages Among the
 Great Party Leaders
BY wA1TERsox srEALEy

Baltimore. January l7.-(speclal) Dem
 ocrats from every section and every state | in the United States, democrats of all shades of opinion, democrats of all fac | tons, democrats who want to be pres
 ident. democrats who ought to be pres ident. democrats who are in Congress,
 and democrats out of it. old democrats l and young democrats, gathered in Balti-
 more today, several thousand strong, and yelled themselves hoarse Over whate l Harmon of Ohio? No.
 | Clark of Missouri? No.
 | Bailey of Texas? No, no man. | The occasion is bigger. They simply
 yelled over the utter annihlation of the republican party last November, and they | yelled again because next year they are sofrg to be able to crown their victory | and elect a democratic president. Even the most fant-hearted think so. | That is sufficient to explain the tremen- | dous hurrahs on the shores of the Chesa-
 Ieake today and tonight. Baltimore did
 itself proud in the entertainment of the
 democratic hosts. Murray Vandiver and
 William Boykin of Maryland are old
 hands at the bellows Vandiver is worth
 going miles to meet and Boylxin holds the
 record for achievements in the banquet | Ene.
 There was oratory galore. hand-clapping
 and hand-shaking, and to top it all off
 ever a thousand democrats sat down to a
 banquet and praised Maryland diamond
 back terrapn and Maryland canvas back
 duck with the accompanying merry
 making imputations.
 1 The Baltimore celebration will go down
 as eclipsing any other party affair of it's
 kind. Being mere celebration 1t did not
 have the attendant political maneuyers
 of national conventions. There was no
 object in view except to celebrate, jubilate
 and congratulate.
 The central figures were Governor Hnr-
 mon Champ Clark and Senator Bailey. They entered heartily into the spirit of
 the gathering and with Governor Foss of
 Massachusetts, shivey of Indiana, J. o.
 Blackburn of Kentucky. Bob Taylor of
 Tennessee and scores Of other national | known democrats, were in high feather | over the present political situation and | the outlook for the future Naturally with | so many democrats around there was
 deal of presidential gossip, and the fact that Harmon and Clark were minglina
 with the crowd was sufficient to star.
 world of gossip.
 Harmon in Limeli4ht That Governor Harmon is aH but an | avowed candidate for the presidency was
 made obvious by the meetings. His friends who accompanied him here made no secret of the Ohio governors ambition to capture the nomination and from this
 time on they will make determined fight for the preliminary tests leading up to the selection of delegates to the national convention.
 The governor himself sidesteps the di- rect question, but he has plenty of sup porters who do the talking for him. MT. Clark of Missouri the other availa- ble candidate in Baltimore. contents him self with saying that he has other things to "bother' besides the presidency. The Missourian, however was a big drawing card today and made with Senator Bailey the hit of the speaking. Governor Har- mon Is of poor voice To be appreciated his speeches must be read Clark with his rought-and-ready style of oratory. and Bailey with the superb eloquence which has placed him in the front ranks of present-day speakers outshone at the big meeting the governor of Ohio. Merely Jackson Day "The only significance of this Baltimore meeting is that we are celebrating Jack sons victory at New Orleans in January, 1915. and the democratic victory at the polls In November, 19l0, said Champ Clark of Missouri today in disposing of reports that conference is on.'' 'As for myself" continued the next speaker of the House, q have never bothered about being president. occa- sonally some friend suggests my candi- dacy, but I spend no time lying awake of nights inducing insomnia by pestering my head counting Clark delegates to na- tional convention or Clark votes in the electoral college. All my life l have sought the attainable and have generally attained what I sought I feel about the presidential business as Thomas Bracket Reed did. Just prior to the St. Louis convention in 1896 somebody asked him if he thought he would be nominated He replied: They may go farther and fare worse. and rather thin.f they will
 "All the newspaper reports that 1 have written a letter or letters practically an- nouncing my candidacy and outlining platform are absolutely untrue Of course, when man writes you or tells you he is for you for president, you do not feel like throwing him out at the window. though you may doubt the feasi- hility of his suggestion. Consequently lndnK tnenl lOt tucil booN NiSA'SS ~'o kind intentions.
 That's the only character of letters I have written on the subject l am not fool enough to decline nomination
 which has not been offered to me. It is decidedly complimentary p be well thought of by any of my fellow citizens for the presidency of the United States is the greatest political office known among men"
 Spirit of sOld Hickory" The spirit of Jackson pervaded the att mosphere together with feeling of gratitude for the recent democratic vic- tories and a deep realization of the re- responsibilities which they carry. Conspicuous by its absence was fac- tional feeling Prominent in its enthu- siasm was loyalty to the party. Sectional differences and personal ambitions were sunk in the depths of affection for the party and it's principles. while serene opts,n for the future filled each heart and was depicted on even the most sec iious face. ..
 In the body of the vast house fwero