Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-04-12
HAS FEW EEHHE ENEMIES IN
RANKS OF PARTY, IS
SECOND CLEVELAND
Lead Democrats to Victory in
1912 on Campaign Slogan
He Can Be Trusted
HAS STRONG HACKERS
Will Run, 1t Is Asserted, Only IF
Dfated for Place By Party
Organization
BY HARRY B. HUNT

w A0dING1 ON, April 1Z.-cpec-
tators in the Senate galleries, peer
ing over into the pit where the lions
of the upper house fight their bat
ties over patronage and politics,
give little heed as a rule to the bulky
but otherwise unimposing figure &C.
cupying the third seat from the left,
second row, on the Democrats side.
Yet this member, who strikes no
statesmanesque posses for the spec
tators' benefit, is regarded by many
in inside political circles are tfs
best bet tor the Democratic presi-
Dental nomination.
His name is Ralston-Sam6cl
Moffet Ralston. His home-lndian
apolis, Indiana. His history-far-
mer, lawyer, governor, senator.
Ralston's strength as presiden-
tial possibility lies chiefly in two
things:
1. He is a pivotal man from a
pivotal state. Indiana's Is elector-
al votes are mighty important. Only
seven states have larger representa-
ton in the electoral college.
His lack of enemies within his
own party is big factor of his
strength. The man who walks off
with the Democratic nomination
will get it as the result of COM
promise.
Ralston's hackers tell how, as
governor Of Indiana, he wiped out
the states public debt. They recita
his deep reverence for fundamen-
tai Democratic doctrine, his hostility
to protective tariffs and his theories
OF taxation.
Old-timers see in Ralston a second
Grover Cleveland. Physically, at
least, the likeness is striking,
Ralston is big bulk of man,
slightly stopped under the weight Of
his 250-odd pounds. His short
mustache is almost gray, but his
hair, now scanty on top, is a dusty
mouse-brown. He wears the long,
full-skirted cutaway coat of~the mid
west professional man, low collar,
black string tie, and soft, broad
brimmed black hat.
Ralston is the oldest of the years
presidential possibilities. He will
be 81 on Dec /.
His great-grandfather, Andrew
Ralston, came to America from
Scotland settled in Pennsylvania,
and fought as rifleman in George
Washington's army. His grand
father, David Ralston, moved west
from Pennsylvania to Ohio. His
father, John Ralston, continued The
migration westward to Indiana, but
not until Samuel Moffet, who was
born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio,
was 7 years old.
AS boy, Sam Ralston helped
open one of the first coal mines
near Brazil, Ind, Then he worked
with his father on a farm near In
dianapolis.
After graduation from district
school, he taught school and studied
alternately until he completed the
course at Central Indiana Normal
College. Then he got a chance to
"read law" with a firm in Sencer,
Ind. He was almost 20 when ad-
mitted to the bar in 1886 and "set-
tied down" to practice law at Lee
banon.
Ralston was put across for gov
ernor by the Democrats in 1912,
large on the homely claim that HE
can be trusted" There was little
or no political claim for his advance
ment. But his reputation for fair
ness and squareness among his
neighbors put him over.
Following his governorship, Raj
ston organized a law practice in In
dianapolis and bought a suburban
home in outskirts of the state CAPT
tai He doesn't like life in a big
city. He likes "elbow room" around