The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-04-29
FOuR MEN CONSIDERED
A View of Reed, Allison, Cullom
and Quay.
REEn'S STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS.
AilisoBs Popularity In the senate-why
Quay Has Come to the Front-His Pre-
dominant Trait-Culiom's Character and
Achievement.

Achievement.
WASHINGTON, April 20. - Especial. i
We have four Of the presidential candidates
on the Republican side constantly. or
nearly constantly, with us. Speaker Reed
and Senators Allison, Cullom and Quay
are the Washington aspirants, and It Is
considered nice thing by the local people
TO be able to take their friends TO the cap
itol any afternoon and show them four
men, any one of whom may be the next
president of the United States. OF course
the interest is greater In Reed than in any
of the others, because he has been SO much
talked about. But of late there is per-
ceived an increasing desire on the part of
strangers in the city 10 see Mr.. Allison.
Quay also comes in for large share of at
tention when he is in town, which is not
always, for very fond is he of taking his
little trips TO Florida
The Brainy Reed.
Without any question Mr.. Reed is looked
upon In Washington as the brainiest man
yet talked of for president. l say this
without any sort OF prejudice against the
other candidates. Probably 1 am like
most of the people In this city in admiring
Mr. Reed very much, but in liking other
aspirants little better personally. A
feeling has grown up in the minds of pub
lie men and politicians here that If he were
president Mr.. Reed would not only be q
strong man, but too strong. There Is a
fear that it would be difficult to do any
thing with him, except on his own terms
and in his way. know that this is the
fear of men who had hitherto thought of
giving him their support for the nomina-
tion. They have watched the big man
pretty closely and have come TO the con-
clusion that he would be another Cleve-
land, only perhaps more SO. / heard one
man say: Tom Reed is the ablest man
talked Of for the presidency and would
make one of the greatest presidents the
country ever had. But 1t would be i'm
possible to live with him. He would get
overbearing, stubborn, supercilious, sar-
castle, and in six months there would be
no one in the country with nerve enough
TO 60 to the White House to see him."
While this is rather extravaganza view of
the possibilities, it gives you an idea of
what the politicians are saying.
Nothing could be more apparent than
that Senator Allison is the Washington
favorite for president. He has been here
now full third of a century, and in that
time has naturally become one of the best
known men in the country Mr.. Allison
has always been prominent in the actual
work of legislation and as chairman of
the committee on appropriations has been
brought in contact with innumerable citi-
Zens in all walks of life. He has presented
TO all the same invariable front of suavity
and politeness, of friendliness good feel
ing and sincerity. Strangers warm TO him
instantly. saying TO themselves that there
is man with a warm heart and steady
eye and a strong hand" In the senate
Allison is easily the most popular man.
and this popularity is not confined TO the
Republican side of the chamber The
Democrats without exception like him
very well Allison Is one of the few men
in the senate who are without enemies on
the floor So far as the Republican sena.
tors are concerned they are almost unapi-
nous for the Iowa man for president
Speaker Reed has three or four friends
and Major Mckinley half a dozen or So
but the remainder are for Allison. a large
number of states are preparing TO cast
their votes for Mckinley at St. Louis
which would go for the Iowa man if the
senators from those commemorative could
have their way. The senators feel that If
Allison were in the White House they
would be able TO get along without fric
ton or trouble He would understand
them and they him
Quay the Silent.
/ violate no confidence in saying that no
one in Washington has had any serious ex-
pectation of the nomination for president
of Mr.. Quay. Yet 1t is perfectly true that
the Pennsylvania senator is a very popular
man here. For several years it has been
quite the fashion TO sneer at Quay a bit,
and even members of his own political
party have been guilty of it. But of late
the Pennsylvania senator has come to the
front as one of the strongest and most
eagerly sought men In the upper branch
of congress There have been no sneers at
him since he overthrow the great combi-
nation that had been formed TO down him
in his state of Pennsylvania. In politics,
as in everything else, nothing succeeds
like success.
Mr.. Quay's distinguishing-in fact his
northumberland is quietness He is
the stillest man in public life, recalling
the apt but rather coarse saying about the
still pig For days and days Mr.. Quay
ambles about, and scarce a word is heard
out of him. He rarely addresses the chair
and has not made set speech since his
famous bulldozing effort on the tariff, two
years ago Moreover, he engages less in
conversation than most of the senators.
He rarely seeks another senator for little
chat, and, for some reason, no one seeks
him unless there is real business to be
transacted. This is not so because Quay
Is unsocial or unpopular or anything of
that sort. 1t is only his mood, his temper
He is the silent man of the political world,
but he does keep up deuce of thinking
Cullom the odd.
Senator Cullom is rather odd fish
People do not know just how TO class him.
Some think him very wise and others say
he is thin. But have noticed this-the
better a man knows Cullom, the nearer TO
his real self one gets, the more certain is
that senator to be appreciated. Cullom is
as plain as pair of old overalls. There is
not the slightest bit of affectation about
him. and If IL were necessary for him to
put on a frill in order To save his life he
would tell them TO summon the coroner
Cullom is not magnetic, nor genial, but
he holds his friends, and these friends have
been fighting for him out in Illinois with
splendid loyalty and courage. l sometimes
think the country does not half appreciate
the services rendered by Cullom in framing