Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-18
COL. MICHENER HERE
What He Says About Ex-President
Harrison's Candidacy.
NO One AUTHORIZED TO SPEAK
McKinIey's Weakness in His Own
State Delegation.
AN ACCIDENTAL CONFERENCE

| AN ACCIDENTAL CON ftRENCt
| Col. Michener Of Indiana, one Of ex-Presi-
| dent Harrison's lieutenants In his former
| campaign is in the city. He is an astute
and shrewd political manager. Just now
! he is as innocent of politics as is apparent
| ly his former chief. He is devoting himself.
| he says, exclusively to the practice of law,
| and knows little Of the wiles Of the poll
| ticians. To a friend who asked him today
| whether ex-Pres.dent Harrison was a candi--
| date for the presidency or not, Col. Niche
| ner discreetly answered.:
| HE says that he is not"
Hnrrison's Business In New York.
| When 1t was suggested that what has
| been termed a conference, in which Ben1a-
| min Harrison has taken part, has been held
| in New York city, Col. Michener replied:
| General Harrison has been to New Jersey
| to receive a medal, as the press has stated.
He went also to New York city to give
| sitting to Mr.. Eastman johnson for por-
| trait, which Is to be hung in the White
| House in the gallery of ex-Presidents. That
| Is his real business in New York city just
now, although he may have some rather
| important law business also. The portrait
| is to be painted at the governments ex-
pense, according to the custom of having
| the portraits of all of the ex-Presidents In
| the White House."
| But they say" 1t was suggested. that
| some of the candidates in the field believe
| that Benjamin Harrison is also candi-
date. and that they do not like it,"
| II know that they do not like it," said
| Col Michener. "The fact is the leading
men, might call them the managers of,
think. all of the republican presidential
| candidates who have been named, have
been to me, and in the course of social chat
| have said that the man whom they most
fear is Benjamin Harrison"
And why should they be afraid Of Gen.
Harrison If he Is not a candldate!"
McKinley's Wenkness.
The only answer which Gen. Michener
would make to this inquiry was to turn the
conversation to the political prospects of
| Gov. Mckinley. THE greatest weakness
of Gov. Mckinley. in my judgment" said
he, "is that he is not certain to hold his
| delegation for any considerable number of
| ballots in the national convention. In fact,
| it is not altogether certain that he will be
able to obtain the solid vote of his delega-
| ton to the convention on the first ballot,
| even as matter of state pride.
| "A prominent Cincinnati republican told
me the other day that it was very doubt
4 full, indeed, whether Gov. Mckinley could
| be certain of the full strength Of the Ohio
delegation on the first ballot. There is a
| great deal of factional republican trouble
| in Ohio just now, which may injure Gov.
| Mckinley before the convention shall be
| called, and which will be noticeable in the
| convention The Foraker and the Sherman
| and the other factions are not at all har-
| monious, ard Mr. Mckinley certainly will
| not be benefited by any such contentious.
| Gov. Mckinley and Mr.. Reed may in fact,
| destroy each other as candidates before the
convention shall meet"
No One Authorized to Speak.
Still Gen. Michener says that Gen. Harri-
| son is not candidate for nomination. Col.
Michener in Washington talks as guarded
|
city, and his language very much resem-
| bles that of his former chief.
| 1t is not many weeks since Col. Michener
| stated absolutely that ex-President Harri-
| son would not be a candidate fer renomina-
| ton. But Dan. RanSdell of Indiana the
| old United States marshal of the District
| here, who was then in the city, and who Is
| perhaps nearer to Ben jamin Harrison than
any one else, said that Col. Michener had
| no authority to speak for President Harri-
| son on that subject, and that no authority,
| for that matter, to express the position of
| Gen. Harrison before the rext nominating
| convention had been given to any one. Col.
| Dan. Ransdell is evidently discreet enough
| to think that it will not be wise for Ben
| jamin Harrison to permit any authoritative
| statements to go out that he is not can
| didate for the presidency. The leading pol
| iticans who come to Washington are grow
| ing more and more outspoken in the decla-
| ration of their opinion that the ex-Presi-
| dent is candidate for the nomination in
the sense that, while he may not seek to
secure organization, he did of the
| office holders before, he will permit his
| name to be present ted, and would accept If
| nominated.
| An Accidental Gathering.
1t undoubtedly is a fact that the gather
ing of republicans just now at New York,
| said to have been summoned there to con-
| fer with ex-President Harrison, is in
| great measure accidental 1t certainly is
| fact that Senator Proctor of Vermont, who
| was Secretary Of War under President Har-
| rison, did not go from here to New York
| to confer with the eX-PreSident Senator
| Proctor was here to make inquiries to
the misfortunes which have overcome SEN
eca HaZelton of Burlington, VT, who still
holds the commission as United States min
| lister to Nicaragua. Senator Proctor, to-
gether with the legislature of the state.
and all of the supreme court judges and
| most of the other prominent men, had in
| dorsed Mr.. Hazelton as matter of state
| pride for this Office and he came on here
| from Vermont especially to see If he could
| render any service to a Eermonter in trou-
| ble And in returning to his home from
here he simply stopped over in New York
| and did not know that the ex-PreSident
| was there.
| Senator Morrill, was not in New York
| city to consult with ex-President Harrison
| or with anybody else. He has been in New
York for several days on his way home to
| Vermont Senator Morrill, was in most ex-
| cellent health when he left here. The re-
| port that the venerable Senator would not
| accept denomination to the Senate is said
| by his friends to be incorrect.
Treasury Department Changes.
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