The herald., 1896-05-11
GOSSIP FROM WASHINGTON

so for publication. We shall keep UP at
least a show Of opposition little while
longer" Senator Quay. who 10 the
head and center Of the opposition, has
authorized the statement that the con-
test will 60 on, and that It cannot be
settled till the contested delegations
from the south shall have been disposed
of. Yet Mr.. Quay admitted few days
ago that If Illinois decided in favor of
Mckinley the struggle would be at an
end. The representatives Of Speaker
Reed and Senator Allison also say that
their candidates will not withdraw,
and that the fight will be carried to ST.
Louis just as If nothing had happened
in Illinois. OF course, all this is pure
nerve, and rather admirable nerve. too
Every one of the leaders, from Quay
down, knows the battle Is over and
that Mckinley has won 1t. but like the
bold fighters they are they do not pro-
pose to surrender. Representatives Of
the various candidates held little con-
ference last night. and, while 1t was a
pretty gloomy affair, they decided to
put on as brave a front as they could
under the circumstances and wait for
something to turn up.
There is good deal Of admiration
here for the nerve which these men
are displaying. Many rumors are in
circulation to the effect that Quay,
Reed and other interests will seek some
sort of an alliance with the Mckinley
people. but there is not as yet any war
rant for such statements. So far as
present indications go all the beaten
generals intend to stand to their guns
and go down with oolors flying There
may not be much left of their respect
i've armies when the time comes to form
in line of battle, but Platt, Quay and
that sort are pretty likely to win respect
nxy e-tr, ItvHs~ 20 hA aud tvHA
trying to curry favor by showing a
white flag. Many observers here think
that both Platt and Quay, who were
the organizers and chief promoters OF
the tiMcKinley combination. will
not give up the fight until they are
overwhelmed, and that when the end
comes they will be found. weapons in
hand. surrounded by their old guard. If
he determines to do So Quay can doubt
less lead forty or forty-five of the sixty
four Pennsylvania delegates right up to
the cannon's mouth. Platt can. If he
wishes. do the same thing with like
number Of New Yorkers.
1t is a matter of inside gossip todav
that but for Quay the whole combine
would have collapsed last night. The
Allison men were very much discour-
aged. particularly in view of the fact
that the Republicans OF Iowa are almost
as enthusiastic for Mckinley as those OF
Illinois. The Reed men were without
the sign of a fight anywhere about them.
This is no new condition for the Reed
leaders to be in, for they have had that
panicky feeling for several weeks. Joe
Manfey and Lodge were about ready
to throw up their hands. But the two
old stagers, Platt and Quay, came to
the rescue and succeeded in injecting
enough life blood into the corpse to
make its lips move, at any rate. Platt
wired over from New York that the
flag was to be kept flying. and Quay
urged the boys to keep stiff upper lip.
Joe Manley, who was in a state of col
lapse last night, today announced that
he would have his column of figures
ready next Sunday as usual.
While everyone admires this sort Of
pluck. particularly when 1t Is harmless.
not so much can be said for Joe Manley's
usefulness as mathematician. Mr..
Manley said today his figures to be CIV
en- out on Sunday would show only go
uncontested votes for Mckinley. If 1t
pleaseS Mr.. Manley and his friends to
delude thenx9elves with such grotesque
misstatements, no one has right to
object. But fooling the public is quite
another matter. Mr.. Manley Is too ex-
perienced politician. and too honor
able man to be Systematically engag-
ed in the task of deceiving the readers
of newspapers with cooked-up figures.
Senator Cullom may take a grain of
consolation in the fact that he Is not the
only senator who has beenrun over by
the Mckinley cyclone. The senate as
/ have already pointed out in these dis
patches, is an Allison body. Most of
the members of it are at heart for. the
Iowa candidate, though some Of them
have nominally supported Reed Hans
brough tried to get an Allison delega-
ton in North Dakota, Pettigrew tried
the same thing in South Dakota, Davis
made stand for himself in Minnesota.
Chandler did the best he could in New
Hampshire. and now Cullom has to take
his dose, the most bitter of all. OF the
whole lot, Proctor of Vermont, is the
only one who comes out Of the scrim-
mage in good condition, and the Reed
men and Allison men and all the COM
bine chaps are-oh, so dreadfully bitter
against Proctor.
Senator Mcmillan of Michigan Is
thanking his lucky stars that he was
shrewd enough to let the cyclone alone.
There was a time when Mr.. Mcmillan
was tempted to see what he could do for
Allison in Michigan, but before making
move this cautious politician and ad-
opinion at home. In just one week he
satisfied himself the Republicans of
Michigan wanted Mckinley and were
determined to have him; that the peo-
pie We're in an ugly frame of mind and
determined not to brook interference
with their plans, and that the man
who ran his head up against the cyclone
would afterward wish he had not. Mr..
Mcmillan kept hands off, and is now
right glad he did.
Just for the sake of something to talk
about. Quay and Manley continue to
threaten to rob Mckinley of all the con-
tested delegates from the south. On
this score it is interesting to hear
what Senator Carter, chairman OF the
National Republican committee. has to
say. OF course, the combine have been
playing for Him.. They began it
months ago. but have not had any luck.
1T will be Mr.. Carter's duty to appoint
subcommittee to perform various
functions at the St Louis convention,
and if all these subcommittee could
be arranged on the antl-McKinley lines
that would be a nice thing for the bosses.
They are especially anxious that Chair"
man Carter should assist them IN their
little scheme to steal 100 votes
away from Mckinley in the south But
Mr.. Carter makes no deals or promises:
All efforts to land him in the bosses
met" have signally failed. AS chairman
of the national committee Mr.. carter
believes it to be his duty to keep still.
The nearest approach he has mace 10
expression of opinion was when. after
o., 1xsx 1DN r.