Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-17
He is Laying Pipes for the Next
Senatorship.
HANDLING THE PATRONAGE WELL
The Probable Free Silver Oppo-
sition Candidates.
CONFIDENT OF SUCCESS

The senatorial fight is now well on in
Alabama. although the legislature. which
will decide this important question. does
not meet until next August, and the Sc
lection of Senator will not occur until
the following January. Governor Oates
long ago announced himself candidate
for the Senate, and it was no secret that
he accepted the governorship, with sal
ary of 5000. instead of his place In the
House OF Representatives at 5000, with
the purpose of using it a wedge to open
his way to the United States Senate.
Handling the Patronage Well.
Alabamans in this city are watching with
much interest the tactics of Governor
Oates, which are said to be daily bringing
followers to his cause and which will,
doubtless. be an important element in the
race for the senatorship. These tactics
involve a judicious handling of Alabama
state patronage, and no one is better quail
fled to place this patronage to the greatest
advantage than is Governor Oates. AS
soldier who lost an arm fighting the cause
of his people Governor Oates stands greatly
endeared to the Alabamans. and as con-
slant mixer in politics ever since the war,
even when he was devoting much time to
his legal practice and to successful real
estate transactions, he has become ac-
quainted in every section of the state.
There is no township In which he does not
and now that he is in the gubernatorial
chair he Is enabled to use this informa-
ton to the best advantage.
As n Sound Money Candidate.
OF course the liveliest question in Ala
bama politics, as it is through the south
and west, is that which deals with silver
Gov Oates is Sound money" man, and
he has given voice to the sentiments on this
subject in no uncertain tones. He believes
80 hi ctatn
is dying out and that by the time the cleo
ton of delegates to the Legislature occurs
in next August, the state will be largely on
his side of the money question. In the cleo
ticn of the delegates that are to compose
the legislature that is to name a United
States Senator Gov. Oates is said to be
usirg his influence constantly and efficient
ly. The states for delegates are already
icing made up, and everywhere that the
governor can place friends name on a
ticket as a delegate it is said that he is
sparing no pains to do so.
His Probable Associate.
In every county of the state where an
appointment is to be made Gov. Oates
knows exactly the man who will carry the
greatest influence with him, and when he
has given him the preference he generally
has won to his cause the influence of a
dozen or more men of prominence, who are
of advantage to him, either by keeping
aloof from any opposition to his aspirations
or by taking an active part in the cam
paign. Representative-elect Richard H
Clarke is also prominently named as can
didate for the senatorship, and many peo-
pie give him the credit for Gov. Oates
nomination. At any rate, he carried his
district, one of the most important of the
state, for Gov. Oates, and did him valuable
service. 1t is thought that these two men
will be the candidates On the part of the
sound" money men of Alabama, and they
both represent the sound money principle
with equal firmnesS.
Senator Pugh and Joseph r. Johnson of
birmingham are the free silver candidates
in the democratic party of Alabama, and it
is quite generally believed that if the free
silver men gain the aScendancy there that
one of them will be chosen for the United
States Senate. Mr.. Pugh will make an eff
fort to retain his seat in the Senate, while
Il has been no secret for long time that
Mi. johnson, an important member of his
party aspired to come to Washington as
a member of the upper house of Congress
PopuIists Keeping Quiet.
The populists just at present are not
making great a stir in Ala bama as they
were some time ago, and their greatest
hope is that the democratic party of their
state will pronounce for sound money"
in which case they expect to secure many
votes of free silver democrats. 1t is not
thought likely that the populists will unite
with the republicans next year. they
realize that such action on their part
would cause democrats who would like to
vote for a free silver candidate to hold
alcof rather than mix up with the republi-
cans, who they are much less inclined to
join hands with than they are with the
populists. On the other hand, it is ar
gued that If the populists nominate man
free silver republicans Will be unable to do
anything except to vote for him, and that
they Will gain strength from the free sill
Yer element of both parties.
But Gov. Oates believes that the free sill
Yer sentiment is dying out in this state,
tEat he viii be nominated and elected to
TIE United States Senate. He is bending
every effort in that direction. and even
those who are inclined to oppose him con-
cede that he is doing his work well.