The Portland daily press., 1896-05-05
CURRENT COMMENT.
SENATOR PROCTOR'S PLEA.
(Boston Herald

Senator Proctor is still explaining how
it happened that the Vermont Republi-
cans gave the Ohio rather than the New
England candidate for the Presidency the
benefit of their Endorsement. According
to Senator Proctor, he was in no way re-
sponsible for the action of the convention.
He arrived in Vermont from Washington
at half past two O'Clock in the morning,
and before he had time to get his brea K
fast he found that there was Mckinley
tidal wave, ground swell, cyclone, ava
lanche or what you will, sweeping over
the state Thereupon he felt it his duty
to get aboard, which he did with neat
ness and dispatch. 1t Is due to him to
say that his capitalization was rather more
graceful than Senator Chandler's in New
Hampshire, but it reflects no more credit
on his loyalty to New England interests
and New England ideas.
WHY TT SUPPORTS MR.. REED.
Boston Adyertiser.)
For variety of reasons The Advertiser
has supported and continues to support
Speaker Reed for the Republican nomi-
nation to be made at St. Louis for the
Presidency of the United States. The
fact that he is the New England candi-
date has, as is reasonable and right,
measure of influence with New England
AhoIS OuU tilO
in this preference are based upon Mr..
Reeds immense ability, his long expert
ence in national affairs, his spotless char
acter and reputation, his broad states
manship, his universal fame. his exeou
tive talents, his wealth OF knowledge, his
frmness in right decisions his sound
ness upon all questions of public policy
his impregnable strength in the conf
dence and affection of the people-in
word, his extraordinary fitness for the
candidacy and for the Presidency.
SPEAKER REEDS DIGNIFIED AND
HONORABLE CAMPAIGN.
Henry Mcfarland in the Boston Hernld)
l want to express in word my admira-
ton for the dignifed and self respe sting
and honorable way in which Speaker
Reed has conducted himself during this
canvass. There is great deal Of human
nature in the speaker, as everybody
knows, and yet he has resisted temptation
every day of this session to make capital
for himself at the public expense, to
which men of more pretensions to high
moral living might have yielded. Doubt
less he was mistaken in not taking a
more aggressive stand, and especially In
the support of the gold standard, which
would have given him positive issue
against Mckinley on which the business
men of the country would have rallied
to his support, but, leaving this matter
of policy cut of account, his administra
tion of the affairs of the House as speaker
has been sin gularly free of any suspicion
of self-see king. He has been more care
full more sorupulous than if he had not
been candidate for the presidency, and
no has undoub tedly made himself I'M
popular with many Republican smembers
instead of making himself popular by
doing what they wanted him TO do in re-
gard to their bills. All sorts of appeals
have been made to him, often with prom
ises or threats attached to them. He ha
been asked to interfere in contested cleo
ton cases, ami he has absolutely refused
to do so, although he knew that it would
cost him delegates. He has been urged
to help this, that and the either apprOpri-
alton in the appropriations committee,
and in the rivers and harbors committee,
and to help public measures and private
bills BIZ the score. Mem bers have chafed
under the policy Of inaction which he
adopted, and have tried every means to
get him to arrange to nave their bills
considered, but in vain. Having made
I'D his mind to take the course he took
he held the rudder true, regard less of all
attempts to swerve him. IF | were
you" said one of his friends to him one
Kinley." Given the presidency may
come too high" replied Reed, dryly.
And again, on another occasion, when
another friend was urging him to pass
certain bill which he thought would get
him the nomination, the speaker quietly
said: ''I suppose have my price. but
it must be something more than the
presidency to make me do this sort of
thing"