Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-05
IN Tur pprs,DrNrf,1 r,rIp.

IN THE PRESIDENTIAL FIELD.
Tho explicit and undoubtedly sincere
announcement by ex-president Harrison
that he Is not candidate for the pres-
Dental nomination and that he cannot
consent to have his name presented to
or used in the st. Louis convention,
takes him out Of the list of possibilities
and reduces the number prominent In
the public mind to four-Reed. McKin
ley. Allison and Morton. 1t appears
that General Harrison has ut no time
thought of being Il candidate and has
so expressed himself to numerous
friends. 1t is not difficult to understand
that he should be content with his long
and successful public career and prefer
the peace and quiet of private life to
the contention and turmoil and anxiety
of politics. His fame as a public man Is
secure. His administration as chief eX-
ccutive of the nation was an era of al
most unparalleled progress and pros
pcrity for the country, while it was also
made memorable by n maintenance of
the rights and the dignity of the nation
which greatly strengthened our position
in the respect of the world. 1t was,
moreover. a thoroughly clean admins
tration and one which set an excellent
example of busincss-like methods in the
conduct of public affairs. All this his
tory must certainly accord the admins
tration of Benjamin Harrison. He could
add little to his fame by another term
in the presidency and having received
the fullest appreciation of his party.
knowing, also, that lie enjoys the high
est respect of all his countrymen, re-
gardless of their political affiliations. he
has decided wisely in declining to go
into another political contest as Il can
didate. That he will not be an idle
spectator of the campaign however, but
will give his voice to the republican
cause it is entirely safe TO assume.
1t is not apparent that the declination
of General Harrison will have any de-
cided effect upon the chances of the
pronounced candidates for the repub-
lican nomination. 1t is probable that he
has u preference among them. but it is
a position of complete neutrality and
that no influence which he might exert
will be used in behalf of any one of
them. The suggestion that it may give
the Indiana delegation to Mckinley is
plausible, because it has been under
stood that Mckinley was the second
choice of the Indiana republicans with
II Il Ia
may be sure that other aspirants will
not ignore that state in their campaign
for delegates. Outside of Indiana the
declination of General Harrison can
hardly have an appreciable effect, for
in no other state, so far as there has
been any development of sentiment, has
he been very seriously thought of as
possible candidate. The feeling has
rather been that his nomination might
be brought about by a situation in the
national convention which would rem
der 1t the most expedient thing to do.
The presidential field will soon be-
come interesting. The contest in the
Louisiana convention between the Reed
and Mckinley factions, In which the
former was victorious and secured the
delegates-at-large to the national con-
vention, appears to Indicate that the
Maine man may prove more formidable
in the south than has been thought, al
though the friends of Mckinley pro-
fess to believe that he will have n large
of the delegates from that sec
tion. All New England is confidently
claimed by Reeds supporters and they
also count on Pennsylvania. but there
is strong Mckinley sentiment in the
latter state. West of Ohio the pref
erence appears to be largely in favor
of Mckinley over Reed. A good deal
Of earnest work is already being done
in some states by the friends of the sew
eral aspirants and it will grow in vigor
from now on to the election of dele
gates.