The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-08-15

more. Professor Wilson was GENERALS
admitted TO be the most progressive
among the Democratic candidates fol
the Presidency. While this impres.
sion prevailed. Jet 1t must be admit
ted that no one could give any con-
crete or specific reason for the same.
The fact that the bosses and all
the agents OF special privilege in the
Democratic party had combined TO
control the Convention for Harmon
as their first choice. or Underwood a.
their second choice. and for Clark az
third choice. or apparently anybody
to beat Wilson'S the Wilson peo-
pie clafmed,-had much to do with
causing the general belief that Will
son was a real progressive.
When the Baltimore Convention
met. the bosses from the various
States of the Union, as agents of Wall
Street and the monopoly interests,
were SO strong that they defled Will
son, Bryan, and all of those who
claimed to be progressives, by nam
ing Judge Parker, the avowed and
unquestioned candidate of Wall
Street in 1904, for temporary chair
man. In the vote on that question,
the majority of the delegates from
North Carolina, that is sixteen out of
the twenty-four, voted for Parker
against Bryan.
The monopoly influences were not
only in control Of the convention, but
they were so audacious that Thomas
Ryan and August Belmont went to
the convention as delegates in person
to supervise their agents who made
up the majority of the delegates. At
least two-thirds of the convention
were controlled by these men and
their allies and the special interests.
They could have nominated a can
didate of their own selection as easily
as they elected Judge Parker as their
candidate for temporary chairman.
But, as each day passed, the full force
and significance of the fight of the
Republican convention in Chicago
and of the announced candidacy of
the progressive Republicans and
many Democratic progressives to
support Colonel Roosevelt had its in
fluence and caused thousands and
tens of thousands of kilograms to be
poured on the delegates in the con-
vention. This SO frightened the con-
vention that 1t was afraid to do any
thing, and caused 1t to mark time
and delay from day to day making
a nomination. Each day the pressure
from people at home and the fright
of the bosses in the Convention be-
came greater and greater, and it was
this that caused the convention, not
through choice or conviction, but
through fear, to turn to Wilson as
the Democratic candidate, inasmuch
as he was considered by the public
the most progressive of all the candi-
dates.
The platform adopted by that con-
vention was a typical Democratic
platform of glazing platitudes and
generalities. Not a word was said in
that platform about free silver. or
government ownership of railroads,
or the recall of judges, or even the
initiative and referendum. Indeed.
every live, progressive issue was
lodged or straddled. The platform
was one that would have been thor
oughly acceptable to either Judge
Harmon or Mr.. Underwood. Either
one of them would have accepted the
on the platform and ap-
proved it as whole.
No one, however, paid much at
tention to the platform because all |
considered Professor Wilson more
progressive than the platform, and
indeed considered him as the plat
form.
Immediately following the conven-
ton, however. the country took no
tice OF the fact that all the Demo-
cratic bosses and monopoly agents,
including Ryan and Belmont. and the
lader of Tammany Hall, called upon
Gov. Wilson, and were graciousIy re-
ceived by him. They all went away II
praising Wilson and pledged THAR
M