Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-11
Presidential Campaigns
XXI The Roosevelt Parker Rase of 1904
ny Frederic D. Haskin

Washington, ~. y, Oct. IJs--ffye
| times in the history of the United States
has the Vice President been called upon
10 assume the Office Of President. Each
time the President by accident" has
| endeayored to obtain election to the high
est Office in hrs own right. John Tyler,
elected Vice President as q Wing, broke
with his party and attempted 10 get the
Democratic nomination. Mif1ard FILL
more fought hard for the Wing nomina-
ton in 1852. Andrew johnson, elected
with Lincoln on the Union ticket 10 1854,
was an ayowed candidate for the reg
ular Democratic nomination IN 1858.
Chester A. Arthur used all the force Of
the administration 10 bring about his
nomination in 1884, but was defeated by
Baine's great popularity.
These were precedents which men
called To mind when Theodore Roo7syelt
became President of the United states upon
the death Of William Mckinley. II there
was anything IN the world which lheo-
dore Roosevelt did not respect il was
precedent. From the beginning II was
his purpose 10 break the bonds of the
vice-presideniial hoodoo No leas a captain
than Senator Hanna began to plot for
the defeat Of Roosevelt m the Republican
Convention of 1904. The old line Rep'ibli-
can leaders feared Roosevelt and they
hopcd so stop his program. But Mr.. Hanna
died. and the anti-Roosevelt politicians
could find no leader willing 10 be sac-
rificed Teddy" was popular all over
The, country, the nation was more pros
perous than ever before in it's history
and everybody was saying Let we'll
enough alone"
50 il came about that the Republican
Convention which met IN Chicago was
the most harmonious national convention
ever held by that party. The nomination
Of Mr.. Roosevelt was assured, and every
BODY had agreed on Mr. Fairbanks for
second place before the convention was
well organized. II was the only Republi-
can National Convention in which no
one single question was contested on the
floor The national committee had prornis-
ed TO give Chicago three-days conven-
ton. and IL was only % fulfil that promise
that the convention lasted more than two
days.
DEMOCRATIC DTsAGREE.EHTs.
Such harmony was not the portion Of
the poor Democrats. While Ar. Bryan
still held a great personal following among
the voters Of his party, the politicians
looked upon him rs a sure loser He was
not candidate for the nomination, nor
would he espouse the cause Of any other
candidate He did, however, insist that
the nominee should not ne taken from
that faction Of the party which had been
ont Of accord with the majority Of Dem
ocrats since the Cleveland days.
Alton B. Parker had been elected chief
Judge of the Court Of Appeals Of New
York State by a great majority in the
very year after Mckinley had swept the
state A man Of ability, with good record
on the bench ard m politics, the pol
iticians looked 10 him as a Democratic
Moses Sentiment did not crystalline on
Parker, however until the southern and
western leaders saw that It WIS neces-
sary 20 agree upon some one candidate
20 head off the stampede for William
Randolph Hearst. Mr. Hearst was making
an earnest campaign for the nomination,
and was spending money and spilliDg
printers ink without stint. 4 coterle OF
New York Democrats OF great wealth,
headed by August Belmont, backed the
Parker boom with plenty OF money.
When the convention met at st. LosIis
IL was practically certain that Parker
would be nominated, but il was also cer-
tain that there would be a great fight on
the platform. In the Committee on Reso-
luton the radicals and the conservatives
once more met in pitched battle. Mr..
Bryan and ex-senator David Bennett
Hill were the generals Of the opposing
forces After a long drawn out fight il
was agreed that the platform should be
silent on the question Of the gold stand
ard. A tariff plank prepared by Mr.. Bryan
was inserted. The committee was un-
a animous on the report. Out of what SEEM
cd to be implacable enmity there had
como perfect peace.
THE SILVER GHOST AGAIN.
Next day the peace and tranquility
turned into anger and chargIn. The con-
vention was preparing 20 nominate its
candidate for Vice President when il Was
thrown into whifl by the rumor that
Judge Parker had telegraphed that he
would not accept the nomination unless
the platform declared for the gold stand
ard. 4 group OF leaders were confeiTing
excitedly when a newspaper extra with
an imperfect account Of the Parker tel-
egram was scattered over the hall In e
moment the place was bedlam. Champ
Clark was chairman and he proved equal
to the emergency. THE gentleman from
Texas moves that the convention stand
adjourned until o'clock tonight. he
screamed. Those in favor oI the motion
say ave, There was not an aye. Those
opposed say no" There was thunder Of
noes like the thunder of Niagara. The
ayes have il and the convention stands
adjounedw 1t was arbitrary and unfair,
perhaps, but il was the only thing that
prevented riot
The convention soon found that Judge |
Parker had only declared his own position |
in favor Of the god standard and that Il |
his views should be unsatisfactory 70 the /
majority Of the convention, he authorized |
William f. Sheehan to decline the nom /
ination in his name. Peace was patched /
up among the leaders and il was agreed 1
TO send telegram to Judge Parker saying /
that the convention did not regard the |