The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-03
GENERAL CLARksoN's HEALTH.
The Republicans Hope He Will Be Able
to Direct the Campaien.

The Republicans Hope He Will Be Able
to Direc. the Campaign.
WASHINGTON CITY, May Especial Cor
respondence.l - Republican politicians
everywhere are awaiting reports from Hot
Springs, Ark, giving the latest news as to
the physical condition of James s. Clark
son. chairman of the Republican national
campaign committee. The continued ILL
health of General Clarkson is making plain
the fact that it will be almost impossible
for him to remain at the head of the ma
tional committee during the present cam
paign. Even if he should recover suffi-
GENTLY to attend the Minneapolis conven-
ton, it is considered doubtful whether he
will be able to stand the rigors of the great
work that will be before the chairman of
this committee this year. General Clark
son is seriously afflicted with intiammatory
rheumatism and has been unable even to
attend to the minor details of his
position or to devote any attention
to his private business end last
fall. AS has been ste oil Slt is
feared by Republican leaders that
some other man will have to be selected to
take charge of the campaign, but just who
that man will be is question that every
body seems to be asking each other at the
present time. There is still a lingering
hope that General Clarkson may recover
sufficiently to attend to the duties devolv-
ing upon him as the head of the Repub-
lican committee, but it is quite generally
feared that such will not be the case.
If General Clarkson should be unable to
manage the campaign this year it will be
a severe blow to the Republican party. 1t
Is conceded by everyone that there is no
more able political manager in the coun-
try than he is. He has given evidence of
his signal ability in past campaigns, and
his tact as political manipulation is ques-
toned by no one. 1t will be a bard
matter to fill his shoes if he is
obliged to give up the chairman
ship, and there is only one man
in the country that is believed
capable of taking his place, and that man
is Senator Quay of Pennsylvania. Owing
to the fact that Mr.. Quay willingly retired
from the head of the committee last fall.
it is not considered possible that he would
again undertake to manage the canvass of
the Republican ticket in this campaign,
Mr.. Quay's health is not of the best and
he attributes his present physical condi-
ton to the immense amount of work that
devolved upon him in the campaign of
1883. Certain it is that if President Harri-
son is renominated it would be practically
futile to attempt to induce Mr.. Quay to
accept the craftsmanship again. He has
no love for the present chief executive, as
is well known, and would not undertake
to ruin his health again in his
interests. With Quay out of the
question, there is scarcely any man
in the country that seems able to
fill the bill. Henry C. Payne, of Wiscon-
sin, is considered bright and able poll
tician, but whether he is capable of
branching out so as to cover the entire
country is question. 1t may be that Mr..
Payne will be selected, provided GARRISON
does not recover sufficiently to remain at
the head of the committee or that Senator
Quay should not be induced to again take
the craftsmanship. 1t is probable that
Payne is the man that politicians now
have their eyes on In case both Garrison
and Quay are not available in the present
campaign.