The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-08
interesting; but Perhaps Untrue.
The Washlngton Post gossips anus:

Inc washington Post BOSSlpS mus.
Mr. Reeds presidential boom grows
apacc. 1t is now exceedingly probable
that when the roll of the next Republican
national convention is called Pennsyl-
vania will be found casting heir slXty-four
votes for Thomas b. Reed, of Maine. The
first vote will be- in all probability,
complimentary on for Governor Hastings,
but the next ballot will mean business.
When Senator Cameron returned to
Washington just before the reassembling
of congress he was interviewed, and very
frankly expressed his opinion in the
availability of Mr.. Reed for the nomina
ton. Mr.. Quay, however, preserved his
usual silence until yesterday. when a
member of the Pennsylvania delegation,
who was anxious to get into the right
procession, inquired of Mr.. Quay what
the Keystone state might be expected to
do at the national convention. Thereupon,
Mr.. Quay casting aside his retlCence, de-
clared that he was for Mr.. Reed, that he
believed Reed could be nominated and
elected, and that, so far as he and Senator
Cameron We're concerned Pennsylvania
would be for the man from Maine All
this may explain why Mr.. Reed making
his first appearance in the senate chamber
yesterday for this session, accompanied
Mr.. Quay into the Republican cloak room
and engaged with him in long and earn
est conversation.
1t is probable, in view of the ease with
which political misinformation is
coined at the capital, that this nawa-
tive will need corroboration before it
will be accepted by the mass of Penn
sylvanians as authoritative. Senator
Quay is hardly the man to commit him
self to any particular presidential can
didacy two years in advance of the con-
vention which will do the nominating
That he entertains the most cordial
feeling personally for Mr.. Reed is
known of all men; and incidentally, it
Is a feeling in which a good many Re-
publcans most heartily share. 1t is
also probable that he would like to see
Mr.. Reed nominated and elected. That
too, is desire which is rapidly becom-
ing epidemic. Notwithstanding these
things, however, it is fairly open to
doubt whether so astute a politician as
Senator Quay would care to go down,
on paper, at this early time, as favor
ing merely a single complimentary bal
lot for Governor Hastings, with a view
when business had begun, to throw
his influence into the balance in favor
of the man from Maine. This would be
to take serious chances, for which there
exists no present necessity.
Public sentiment has not yet begun
to settle in this state upon any par
ticular candidate for the Republican
presidential nomination two years
hence. 1t probably will not, until a
year from now If there should then
exist a fair probability that Pennsyl-
vanian would be nominated, we have
no doubt that Senator Quay would be
the first to advocate the presentation
of Pennsylvanian' name; and to fay-
or sticking to that candidacy as long
as it stood the ghost of show of sue
cess. General Hastings is a young
man, whose rise in politics has been
rapid and to certain extent almost
phenomenal. He could easily afford to
wait six years before entering a ma
tional convention in the aspect of a
candidate for the presidency. Yet, it
Is also easily credible that events could
so shape themselves, between this and
1896, as to make possible his nomination
two years hence. In such a contin-
gency we suspect that Senator Quay
would be the first to declare for Hast
ings and the last to break away to
Reed.