Evening star., 1896-02-08

Inc TepuDllcdH NOMINATION. Tor the preSl
| den,J. but even at the present day there
! Is some doubt in the minds of great many
peopls as to Mr.. Platt's sincerity. THAI
| doubt was removed from many minds
when Mr.. Platt gave to the Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette last week a clear. con.
else statement of his attitude. which was
published over his cwn signature
Mr.. Foraker's relations with Major Nc.
Kinley have not been Of the pleasantest
character Of recent years, and though the
ex-governor both before and after his elec.
tion to the Senate stated that he was in
favor of the nomination of Major McKin-
ley, many doubted his sincerity Only q
few days ago statement was telegraphed
from Ohio representing Mr. Foraker as be-
ing secretly opposed to Major Mckinley
and saying that Mr.. Foraker's friends
would divide the Ohio delegation to the St
Louis convention. Other reports have rep
resented Mr.. Forakers friends as saving
that they would never let Major Mckinley
have the vote of the solid delegation from
Ohio. Others have credited Mr. Foraker
with personal ambition for the republi-
can nomination. In a conversation which !
mad with the Senator-elect a few days ago
he stated his attitude as clearly as Mr.
Platt has defined his relations with Gov
Morton and his BOOM. Mr.. Foraker does
not sign this statement, but he authorizes
me me TO use what he said to me in converse
ton.
l called on Mr.. Foraker more for the pur-
pose of having general conversation with
him about his political experiences than to
obtain statement from him about his at
ttude toward Maj. Mckinley. and our con
versa ton took broad range.
l asked Mr.. Foraker if he liked public
speaking and he said he did not II posi-
lively dislike public speaking" he said,
but If there be any necessity for making
a speech, l can TRY it. Yes, I recall the
first public speech 1 ever made 1t was
when was student at the Ohio Wes-
leyan University. There was a political
meeting in the county school house near
by and they asked several of us young stu
dents to speak l have been at 1t more or
less every year since"
Start in Politics. y-rerr
did you inherit your political tastes 81
I asked.
mo, my father was never active in poll
tics. He was a farmer and my life was
that of any boy on q farm. My father
never held office or took any especial part
in political affairs. He was always inter
ested in public matters as every good cti-
zen is-a little more perhaps than some OF
them are--but whatever taste I may have
for public affairs developed in me; it was
not a heritage. I began to take an in
terest when l was quite a boy. But, as
said, never expected to enter politics. and
when l left college it was with the am.
bition to devote myself to the practice OF
the law.
II declined once or twice to go to the
legislature, but finally l was nominated fol
judge. That is an honor which is appre
c.ated by every lawyer who has a pride in
MS profession That was the start of my
public life. 1 was on the bench for three
years, and next l was nominated for gov.
ernor. No, did not put myself forward as
a candidate for the nomination. 1t came
about naturally without any effort on my
part. The first suggestion of it came te
me In newspaper paragraph. All the other
recognitions 1 have received have come
about in the same way. think a mar
Should never seek an office, nor shun one
II, without injustice to himself, he car
render the service 1t requires. l did moi
seek the office to which I have just beer
chosen, but l none the less highly appre.
ciate the honor Of having been elected tc
Mr. Foraker repudiates the idea tina
there was any deal by which he was tc
be elected to the Senate and the Ohio dele.
cation was to support Major Mckinley fo,
the presidency. THAT was simply the will
of the republicans of Ohio" he said 81
am for Major Mckinley, though, and unless
something extraordinary and entirely un.
foreseen happens, he will have the vote OF
the entire delegation in the convention
told him few days ago that 1 thought il
was right that he should be a candidate
1or the nomination and the candidate OF
ONO, and be supported by an unbroken
Ohio delegation, and I am satisfied there
will be no opposition to him in the state
He will get our forty-sx votes. There are
many reasons why this is so, and no rea.
son that l know to the contrary"
What Mckinley's Friends Say.
Have you made any estimate Of his
strength outside the Ohio delegation?" ]
asked.
Not YETI said Mr.. Foraker. "I hope to
have talk with him soon and learn more
about his strength. All know now is that
his friends, who have given the matter close
attention, think he has the best chance, but,
of course, changes may occur between now
and the time of the st. Louis convention.
ONO expects Mckinley to be nomina ted,
but the convention cannot so amiss if ii
nominates any one of the men who are
named-Mckinley Reed, Harrison, Allison
or Gov. Morton. They are all available
candidates and any one of them would poll
the full strength of the party. 1 think"
suggested that the Senator-elect had not
rad SO good an opinion of Mr.. Harrison
1our years ago.
posed to Harrison four years ago only be-
cause l was sure he could not then be elect
ca. never have disparaged Mr.. Harrison
He is man of strong intellectually and
absolute purity of character and purpose
He gave US a wise administration. and will
hold high place in history. But he is q
man who fails to get close to the masses
The people Of the United States want a
Aiiii VI DiVUu DIS Wen dS VI leSu ana DODe IN
the White House. His friends claim that
he never makes a mistake. If that be
true, 1t Is against his popularity.
According to popular esteem, there is
something wrong with man who is al
ways right He is generally either a trim.
| mer or cold and calculating. But, however
that may be as to Harrison, 1 opposed him
at Minneapolis because l believed he was
| not the most available candidate. The re-
suit OF the election proved that l was
right"
But do you think it possible any candi.
date before the convention could have beer
elected If he had been nominated?"
Il think Gov. Mckinley could have beer
elected" said Mr.. Foraker, quickly. 81 be-
neYe Gov. Mckinley, as the representative
OF the protection idea, was closer to the
voters than any other man then mentioned
as possible candidate. But at least nc
man would have been beaten any worse
than Mr.. Harrison was"
No Timc for Deals.
I referred to the statements which have
appeared in number of newspapers speeu.
lating on the possibility that Mr.. Foraker
was making deal with some other can
didate because of his former political en-.
| nifty to Major Mckinley. Most of these
statements have been based on the sup
posed visit of Mr.. Foraker to Mr.. Platt or
the day when Mr., Platt was supposed tc
have sent to the Cincinnati Commercial
Gazette his long message assuring the peo