The evening times., 1898-12-06
The Situation in the City
POstmaStership Race.
THE DARK HORSE STORY
Mr. Mckinley Has Allowed No Word
of Promise to Escape Him.
yt Is Impossible to Measure the
Strength and Resources of the
Several AspiraHts.

The city postmastership furnishes an
interesting local problem. 1t is topic
which is much discussed. There Is
scarcely a business man in the District
who does not feel an active concern in
the matter. and who is not the partisan
OF one candidate or another. This con-
cern is in a certain degree natural. but If
is probably In a greater degree fostered
by the vigor OF the campaign which sew
eral of the candidates have waged.
On October IL four years had elapsed
since the appointment of Postmaster VII
lett, and on December IA four years will
have elapsed since the confirmation Of
this appointment.
So far as can be learned from the local
candidates the President has let TO word
of promise escape him, but in a general
and usual way has encouraged each OF
them with the observation that their
claims should receive careful, imparu ual
consideration.
The '-dark-horse' story continues 10 go
the rounds. The candidates and their
friends discuss. but no one seems 10 Know,
the source of The story. Each candrate
probably abstracts little comfort from
tIhis rumor in that IL he does not secure
the office none of his competitors VIII. No
candidate has said this. In fact each
candidate is so considerate in This cam
paign that he win say: If / am defeat
ed. hope one Of my friends may he sue
cessfui" DESPITE these polite protestd-
tions. il is quite probable that each cam
didate would rather be defeated by
dark horse from The outside, with great
political prestige than by any one OF HIS
ayowed competitors.
The dark horse rumor may b. fo1Edet
in fact and may not. so fd= as IL can
be traced no fact can be found, said Cne
of the candidates today, To support IT.
1t is given creGiblity. so far as knJwA,
only 10y It's plausibi.ity.
The rurnor has ii that Senator Quay
has q candidate Cor the office and at
THE chances are several to nothing that
the Senator'S choice in the matter WI
he fayorably acted on by the Presid nt y
one of the candidates said today o.
course. If Senator Quay las a man ior
the office / would fee ike Withdraw nS
from the contest. But | don't know that
the Senator has candidate i h-Ne
been able To get no direct eNlIence that
he has / can get plenty OF dark ana
mysterious suggestions from un)thcl Al
quarters. ! never Vet saw political
campaign without . dark horse r.m r.
Sometimes il turns out 10 BE- TACT. ana
sometimes il doesn't Ii is always pcpu-
lar. and is always disturbing. Anybody
can start a dark-horse story, ana mob d.
can dfsprove it. ' am proceeding quie ly
with my campaign. notwithstanding this
disquieting rumor.'
The candidates whose chances seem to
be discussed most IN the offices ani cafes
are Louis d Wine, Corporal Tanner,
Archibald Greeulees, Mr.. And 'rson. OF
the city postoffice. DR.. Hende son,
Charles Z. Bradley and Mr.. TEayer.
1t is not possible to measure The
strength and resources Of these gentle
men. Mr. Greenlees app ears TO have
been longest in the field and 10 have Sc
cured the influence of many intiuent al
men before several of the other candi-
dates concluded to enter the race. Mr..
Greenlees is an active member IF [ {
washington Board of Trade and L i
fact has added to his strength in no
small degree.
Mr.. Wine was one Of the last TO an
nounce his candidacy. 1t was suggested
by one of his friends and seconded by
others until il assumed somewhat the as
poets of a boom. Then Mr.. Wine con-
scented to run. His campaign has been
conducted quietly and with good will to-
ward all his opponents. He has the back
ing Of many powerful influences in the
District and his prospects seem fair.
Corporal Tanner, of course, brings 10
bear much Of the Grand Army influence
and this, ii is said, is an important fac
tor In the determination Of the fight.
The claims Of Mr.. Anderson are that he
is conYersant with the conduct of the Of
flee, and viii not have to pass through
the trying period of breaking in 1t Is
said also that he has strong Congress
sional backing, but for that matter every
candidate claims that he has potent Con
gressional influence, and every one Oi
these claims has foundation in fact. but
just how much no one can tell. There is
no way Of ascertaining the relative
strength Of each mans influence.