Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-23
Why He Has Failed in His Presi-
Dental Aspirations.
LACK OF PERSONAL POPULARITY
His Capacity for Public Affairs
is Generally Admitted.
ONE POLITICIANS OPINION

An experienced republican politician, who
has attended every national convention of
his party in the past quarter of century.
in discussion of Mr. Shermans book, said
to representative of The Star today:
Why He Has Failed.
''Mr. She rms n will never understand why
he has never been chosen to lead his party
In presidential race. And this is alto
gether natural. He knows the estimation
in which for years ne has been held by the
public men of both parties. Tributes to his
great intellectual ability and to the lasting
and substantial character Of his services
have been numerous and sincere. Nearly
everybody of note is on record on the sub
ject, and everybody in Mr.. Sherman's ia
vor. Mr.. Blaine on the one side. said the
NEST complimentary things of him, while
Mr.. Carlisle on the other, has declared his
work to be, next to that of Mr.. Lincoln, the
most important, and likely to prove the
nest enduring. in the whole history Of the
republican party. Now, all of this fully en-
titles Mr.. Sherman not only to think We'll
of himself, but to wonder why, with such
merit and capacity conceded, he should
have been denied the proper reward. 1t is
at bottom a very simple matter, and except
that Mr.. Sherman is called upon thus to
try his own case he wouldn't be in doubt
for moment.
Capacity and Popularity.
"Great capacity for public business is one
thing. The quality of marked personal
popularity is another thing The two things
are rarely combined in one man. They
were in Mr.. Lincoln, and they We're in Mr..
Blaine. but Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Blaine
were in every way exceptional men. Mr.
Sherman does not possess both, or rather
the leaders of his party have never thought
he did, and that explains the failure of his
presidential aspirations. The proposition
to put him up as the candidate was always
rejected on the ground that the masses
would not warm to him. 1t was always an
easy matter for his opponents In conven-
ton to say of him. as he has just said of
Gen. Harrison that his cold and abrupt
manner was against him.
Could Not Have Been Nominated.
"And that sufficed. If Gen. Garfield had
been in Alaska when the republican nation
al convention met In 1850 it. would have
made no difference SO far as Mr.. Sherman's
fortunes were concerned, except to deprive
him Of the most eloquent tribute ever paid
to him. 1t is probably true that in that
case Gen. Garfield would not have been
nominated. The charm of his personal
convention to him when the critical mo-
ment arrived. But Mr.. Sherman would not
have been nominated in any case. No pow
er could have drawn the convention to him,
and for the reason have first given. The
demand of the hour was for a. different sort
of man. The defeat of the Grant forces
was. it was seen certain to leave the party
in a bad way. The man for the occasion
must have the qualities of a peacemaker-
must have sunny, chummy nature, and,
with it, be able to bring the warning fac
tions together. The job was almost too
much for Gen. Garfield-the kindliest, most
,1ar in nNtvy IlNa, ,1N0Ixy
believe that Mr.. Sherman would have filed
the bill? Remember. that the play that
year was for New York and Indiana. Would
Mr.. Conkling have turned his hand over for
Mr.. Sherman? He sulked through half of
the campaign as it was
A Compromise Man Needed.
NO" continued this gentleman, mr.
Sherman Is simply affording us another in
stance of how a man may come to great
proportions in our affairs and yet fail by
reason of the very qualities that have made
him great to reach the goal of his ambi-
ticn. The compromise man is often a neces-
sity in this country. When the strong men
the men of blood and iron-fall out, the
genial man, or the recordless man, is called
in to soften the asperities and restore some
thing like harmony. Mr.. Sherman 1t is
highly complimentary of him to saw. would
never answer for that role. He is regarded
as stern and an aggressive, rather than
q Senlal, man, ana MS record is SO long and
national it has brought him into collision
with many men of prominence. A compro-
mise man he assuredly is not, and never
was.
The One Thing Lacking.
But it is impossible to withhold SYM
pathy from such a man in such circum-
stances. No matter what your own feelings
are about the matter, you are well aware of
how he looks at it, and how much he re-
scnts his fate. The most intelligent public
sentiment has decreed him worthy Of the
presidency, and this in his opinion, entities
him to at least one term in the office. Talk
about popularity as connected with chum-
miness and handshaking simply adds to his
impatience-simply belittles in his eyes the
office and the true interests of the people.
And yet it is the lack of that very thing,
and that thing alone, which in the circum-
stances he has encountered has kept him
out of the White House. Like Mr. Clay and
Mr.. Webster, he will be remembered when
some men who have been President are
forgotten. But that does not console him."