New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-23
ALREADY CHOSEN.


,,,,,,oo, Presidential nomination have been
,eoun under conditions of greater vagueness ana
uncertainty or in a more decided spirit OF iree-
for-all competition than the one no" fanny
oDened for the control OF the delegates VINO "'e ~
assemble in St. Louis on June To- RaIe'! Ill o'
campaigns has party opinion approacheu INV
task OF naming a Presidential cahdioa'e IL" %
deliberate and uncommtted way. No' '"'
the eagerness OF party leaders TO grasp ''e p'i"e
NJ Presidential nomination has aoa'e" siN0 ''
seventies and eighties, or thar the coiiu''
the party in its ability to eject Ires'ue"' ''
,een sens,bly dashed by its reverses OF 1854 anu
1892 On the contrary, Repubhcan s"co''' "
presidential year has never seemed more as
.,red than I'm 1896 and the universal opinion lha'
domination at ST. Louis next June VIII carry
,rh a. the certain promise Of four-years 'ei!
IN the White House has drawn into the s'ruee'
for the control Of the convention e'ea'e
her of eager and strenuous candica'eS 'n'i' "a
oyor before-except perhaps. in lsSS-con'es'eu
s.r,o,e,v for the chance OF winning more VI
loss certain election to the Presidency
PECULIAR CONDITIONS THIS YEAR
..,.,.ud. os "favorite sons who have
.ouod or are about to enter the struggle 1of
~. ,or,ination at St Louis. and the intrusion
,..in .ba las. two months Of so many ne" am
.,.;ors and new interests into the pre-cOhNe"-
, oanvass have undoubtedly had the eHocl
~ eravelv confusing party opirion ana Ie'''u
,rr that natural expression OF preference io0a'
and sectional, which in o:Asr yeas mas 'i''''
torAsbadowed the strength OF the leadihs 0''
6atas for nomination even three or louI 'iioh'''
before the delegates were ready 20 meet !"
o,har nre-, convention campaigns. now justly
memorable. in which party opinion mas sPi'' ."
broad lines Of personal or factohai cied'"eV'
TO conditions Of the contest III the June eo"-
u.ion hava been fully disclosed as early as
the preceding midwnter, ana the s"ubee io'
,ha delegates has reached its eliminating stage
NV the end of March or in the early Weeks oi
April. ,,,.
r., ,oor With no really serious differences
obor, nartv policy or party management, ana
80 absorh,nr personal rivalres 10 intensity ana
,arrorv tho Presidential canvass, the sentiment
,penubIics n voters has been unusually $40" 10
exnress itself, and tn few declarations Oh piSi
srence so far recorded have been OF a ia' from
decisive sort Certainly at this date, win 'ne
convention only a little more than three iho"ihs
ahead no very definite or satisfactory appraise-
r,ent can be made of the fortunes OF any OF the
rival candidates; yet a few delegates nave d.
raad, heen chosen in widely scattered States
end enough is known of the drift Of party sehu-
roent IN certain sections of the country. where
u.,ou,ar asnirants for the nomination have
beer conducting active canvasses, to make worth
hua careful summary Of the struggle so far
as It has already gone.
THE CANDIDATES IN THE FIELD.
The recent absolute refusal Of Ger eral Harri-
son 10 allow his name 10 90 before the 81. LOUIS
convention. has left eight apparently genuine
snd serious candidates for the Republican nomi-
o,,on In the field They are William Mckinley,
% Ohio. Thomas b. Reed. Of Maine William B
.,uson of Iowa: Levi p. Morton, Of New-York;
Matthew s Quay. Of Pennsylvania; Shelby NJ
C,uom OF Illinois; Cushman *. Davis, OF Mime
cota and Charles f. Manderson, OF Neoraska
TIE first three named have been avowed canni-
dates for the nomination since 1892 or 1894 The
others have taken the field within the last
twelve months, Mr.. Quay and Mr Mandersoh
appearing in the lists since the beginning OF the
present year
or ALI the aspirants for the nomination next
June Ex-Governor Mckinley has cor uucted' per
hos the most open and aggressive as we'll as
49, ,,ost extensive and elaborate canvass. Major
.,ou,n,ev has frankly sought the Presidency
crow, the 6ay when the defeat of Gereral HarTi-
.o, and the death of Mr.. Blaine seemed 70 open
the wav for his advancement to the i'oht RANK
an nartv leadership Made Presidential canui
date four wears ago against his VIII ana III SPi'e
~ his nersonal protest he received lS= votes DIT
MINNEAPOLIS, dividing with "ir' ''a'"e '''
strength Of the antiHarrison forces IN 'he last
Renublican Convention SUN notaoie ue''on
.,.a,,o, or bis popuarity and availability could
not but make him on the retirement oi .'e ~
two leaders a naturally hopeful aspirant Tor the
.,.a,,o, :, the convention Of 1895. Making
.o .s,,,glv elccessfui canvasses for the
coye,rorsbin Of Ohio in 1891 and 1892 and shar-
,rg consnicuouslv by his participation IN 'he
car,,aigns ia other States In the uheHa"pieu
RepuLcan victories of 1894 and leS'' MAJOR 'i'-
Kinlev has easily kept to the mont as iep
sentative Republican and has cohe'a"'S w.
fed his claims upon the voting inaSSes Vi '"V
party by jealous and rneritoriotS O"."p'.s
service Last summer MS candidacy ior '"e
Republican Presidential nomination wa" io'
nnally indorsed by the Ohio state No'e"'' ,
and since that time his canvass Tor 'he CUM ",
Of the convention has been conducted WIN ao"eu
impetus.
M'KINIEY APPARENTLY LEADING
Undoubtedly at th: stage OF the contest MAJOR
Mckinley seems TO have appreciate lead over
his competitors for the nomination His sie"s'"
is drawn from the central States OF the o"'o'''
and in this important section Of the country 'i'e
withdrawal Of General Harrison has lei' MN
practically without serious rival In lh''oi'
the candidacy Of Senator cuom may deprive
Major Mckinley OF a large part or even t"e ""''
OF the State delegation. But in Ohio, lhdiana'
Wisconsin, Michigan. Kentucky and missouri '"e
great bulk OF the delegates chosen Will very prop
ably rally to the Ohio leaders standard
In Illinois and also in Nebraska. where anothei
"favorite SON." ex-senator Manderson. has taken
the field as a Presidential candidate. the friends
o. Major Mckinley will undoubtedly make an
open fight for part OF the delegation and sue
ceed in electng in many districts men who favor
Mckinley as a second choice" To the central
States delegations as a nucleus, Major Mckin-