The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-10-11
A Presidential FURRY.

the signal for the opening of political
Pandora's box and the air is filled with
its flying missives. If Admiral Dewey
shall close the box, and sit down on
the cover with his peremptory refusal
to be candidate for the presidency,
Eope may be left for the rest of man
kind who aspire to be President.
The New York World has interview.
ed William G. Whitney, the Democrat
ic strategist who twice nominated
Cleveland, but this astute gentleman's
statements are entirely tentative. Re-
viewing them the Brooklyn Eagle re-
minds the public that Mr.. Whitney
does not know, and cannot know, that
Admiral Dewey would allow himself to
be nominated under any circumstances.
He does know, or ought to know, that
what Dewey has said on the mooted
subject of a nomination to the office of
President does not encourage the idea
that he would accept nomination.
The Eagle concludes review of the
instances of eminent military and ma
val men who have accepted, and those
who have foreshadowed their positive
declination, of presidential nomina-
tons, with the expression of the opiu-
ion that "Today all the improbabilities
of the mans candidacy should be en-
phasized. The few possibilities of it
are 80 outnumbered and outweighted
by the many improbabiities of it as
hardly to be worthy even OF curiosity"
Ga this subject the newspapers all
over the country are writing leading
editorial articles, and there lie unlimit-
ed "gabble or knol'' over this fresh
suggestion of Dewey's candidacy. 1t
all interests Vermont. If Dewey is
willing t. enter the purgatory of poll.
tics, undoubtedly the people would
open wide the door, and good might
result to the country--if not TO the per-
sonal comfort and good fame of the
Admiral. Vermont is brought into
this discussion in another way. Sem
ator Proclo or is credited with purpose
10 make Dewey the Republican candi-
date for the presidency in the next can
vass. No fear is felt that he will ever
become the Democratic candidate. AS
to all this talk about Dewey's candi-
dacy the New York Worlds Washing
ton correspondent says:
Senator Redfeld Proctor of Vermont is at
the bottom of it. He assumes a sort of po-
litical protectorate over Dewey, and he is
suspected of lying low and playing sinis-
ter game to put Dewey in McKiney's place
in 1900.
The Worlds correspondent says that
"Proctor and Mckinley are out" that
they have been out since March Is,
1898, when Proctor made his famous
speech in the Senate on the state of
Cuba and the woes of the reconcen
trados. The correspondent says fur
ther, that Proctor took his speech to
the White House and showed it to Nc
Kinley, who begged the Senator not to
deliver it, as it was almost sure to pre-
ing to avoid. 'The next day." says
the World, "Proctor delivered it and
the cry Of war became irresistible
From that time to this Mckinley and
Proctor have been out"
All this should be catalogued with
matter that is "important if true.'
There was at the time an impression, il
not an understanding, that Senator
Proctor went to Cuba quite as much al
eyes for the President as for himself
There was a lingering doubt in thu
minds of some ultra-conservative mem
bers of Congress that affairs in Cubs
and the condition of the people ther,
were really as wretched as the news
paper correspondents and others wer,
representing. Senator Proctor's speed
cleared this doubt. In Congress ant
throughout the country it had all tn
force of supreme court decision OF
the subjects reviewed. He held III
mirror up to Cuba and all the world be
held the appalling misery and wretch
edness Spain was nfilcting upon dc
fenceless people. In his personal in
vestigaion of the state of affairs i
Cuba and the condition of its inhab
tants under Spanish rule and his pre-
J sentation to the Senate of the results
=. his observations, Senator Proctor wa
universally conceded to have Pei