The San Francisco call., 1896-03-16
Mckinley Shows the Greatest
Strength at the Present
Time.
ALLISON WILL BE THE MAN.
He Comes From the West and Is the
Man Toward Whom the Pacific
Coast Must Look.

General John S. Clarkson arrived here
yesterday afternoon from Los Angeles.
He is here neither as the Republican
leader he is conceded to be, nor as man
who is looking for chance to make profit
able realty investments
He has taken quarters at the Palace
Hotel with State Senator William H.
Anderson and Major E. NJ. Ford, two
Eastern friends, and they propose, while
they stay here few days, to enjoy the
glorious climate before returning to the
Eastern SHOWS.
General Clarkson is man OF strong in
dividuality and of personal magnetism.
Twenty-four years ago he was reporter
on one of the newspapers OF Des Moines.
He has risen ever since steadily to the
pinnacle where he stands to-day. He Is
serious man and is, thoroughly an Ameri-
can. His ideas are clean cut and cannot
be misunderstood.
That he is broad can be seen from his
views of the coming political campaign.
He believes that the West is fully entitled
to the recognition the East has had, and
that Cabinet position in the next admin
istration should be granted the Pacific
Coast.
In speaking of the political situation,
General Clarkson said:
''The strong men in the Presidential race
are Mckinley, Reed and Allison. The
strong probabilities are Quay, Morton,
Cullom, Davis, Manderson and Bradley.
Mckinley is at present in the lead and will
lead on the first ballot Nv Judgment is
Allison will lead on the last ballot and in
Iowa we prefer the lead of that ballot. The
Mckinley people are confident. They have
called their conventions on certain ground,
or what they deemed certain ground, ear
hest and got before the country with a
boom and a hippodrome movement. The
other candidates are going along more
easily, organizing their lines and getting
delegates. 1t is the delegates that will NOM
mate the President, and practical men
want practical things. My own Judgment
is that Senator Allison of Iowa, having
strong affirmative support at the
start, without enmities. with an
unblemished record, with the universal
acquiescence in his fitness for the office, is
SO strong in second choice that he will win,
for it is going to be second choice NOM
ination. Allison is a strong candidate be-
cause be is a broader candidate than Nc
Kinley. Mckinley has made a record on
the tariff. Allison is as great in his in
formation and ability as TO the tariff as
Mckinley, and has qualifications in his
thirty years in Congress and on the Ways
and Means Committee of the House and
over twenty years on the Finance Commit
tee of the Senate, in regard to financial
matters, that Mckinley has not and that
no other man in the country except Alh-
son has, with the exception of John Sher-
man. / think he is stronger, too, because
he is the westernmost candidate among
the probabilities. The majority of the
Nation is in the Mississippi Valley. 1t
has the power to nominate. 1t has in AL
1ison man fit for the Presidency in his
own ability, ripened and strong
by over, thirty years in Congress,
giving him such an acquaintance
with all National interests as very
few men in public life now have. We can
elect body we nominate this year. We
can elect some men more easily than
others, and some men can thus give the
party the very largest insurance of success.
My Judgment is that the strongest man is
the one who is strongest on most ques-
tions-not the statesman of one idea, but
q man who is strong and well informed on
all the present issues, and also strong for
the creation of new issues, the REINFORCE
ment of the strength of his party and the
reinforcement of the strength of the
Nation. In my opinion Allison. because
of his long p1blic experience, fulflls these
requirements. l have no wish to dis
parage the greatness of Mckinley, for be
is very great, but he has achieved his
reputation on one idea and along one
line. Reed is one of the masterful and
very great men of the Nation and
would make a great President. So
would Governor Morton. Senator Quay,
who is in my judgment the ablest man in
actual ability and possessing the best use
of his ability of any man In public life,
would also make a strong President, rem
dering great service to the country and
greatly strengthening his party. Senator
Davis will be found TO have the equipment
of craftsmanship for the Office If he reaches
1t. Senator ,Cullom of Illinois, contem-
poraneous with Lincoln, one of the ablest
men in public life, would make safe and
popular President. The field is rich with
candidates of worth, and the party has a
great reserve of material nearly or fully as
good. If it should be necessary to call upon
it at st. Louis
"Are you in this country in the interest
of Senator Allison?'
81 am not. | am visiting the coast on
business. L am not averse to TALKING of
the Presidential matter, as 1t is the topic
of greatest public interest and political
consequence at the present time"
What is the extent of your personal ac-
quaintance? Are you better known with
Allison or Mckinley than Reed"
81 know them all alike. In Iowa we
have none of the disposition that is mani
tested by some of the candidates of preiu-
dice in regard to favorite sons. We con-
cede the right of every State to present a
candidate. We feel that any State has
the same right to present dandi-
date that Iowa has, and we have
none Of the disposition of Ohio in this
canvass, which seems to resent the liberty
and the right of any State that wishes to
present a candidate. We believe that the
party should be left to the freest choice. /
have neither request to make nor advice
to give to California Republicans They
know the field of National politics. They