Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-21
S ATOR ALllS 0 N
NOT LIKELY THAT HE WOULD TAKE
THE VICE PRESIDENCY.
His Ambition Is to Serve the Longest
Term in the
Senate.

Men in Washington who are best acquaint-
ed with Senator Allison do not think there
is any likelihood of his consentfng to be a
candidate on the ticket with Mr.. Mckinley.
Mr.. Allison has been ambitious to be Presi-
dent, and has felt himself to be close to the
nomination on at least one occasion, but
that has passed and all his friends know
that there is no position other than the one
he holds that has attractions for him.
AS chairman of the Senate appropriations
committee, his influence is beyond measure
greater than that of the Vice President, and
ii is only the undiscussable contingency of
being called upon by mischance to fill a
higher place that makes the vice presidency
as important a position as that of sena-
tor of any rank. Mr.. Allison holds the
ranking position of his party in the Senate,
and he resisted the opportunities of Harri-
son, when he was President, and, since, of
Mckinley to leave the Senate to enter the
cabinet. At the end Of his present term. II
he lives. Allison will have served thirty
years in the Senate, without break in his
service. He will then be seventy-four years
and one day old, having been born March =,
1899.
His Appearance.
His appearance does not indicate his age.
The average observer would take him to be
not above sixty-five. There is massive
the impression that he is always to be just
as he is. During the past ten years there
has been little noticeable change in his ap-
pearance, except that his step is shorter and
quicker as he moves about the Senate us If
he had not quite confidence enough to take
a more deliberate stride Yet this peculiar
ity of his walk is but the development of
one that has always marked his gait.
Sometimes a particularly close observer
may remark carelessly that ALLISON IS
beginning to show his age a little" but
the suggestion is apt to be disapproved by
those who are used to seeing him day after
day. His massive head, his broad shoul-
ders. peculiarly brilliant eye and his deep.
full voice dispel the thought of age and in
firmity- If he lives it is said that no diff
Guilty can be foreseen in the way of his
being reelected to succeed himself in 1903.
Gear. his colleague. who is about four years
his senior and by no means as robust has
just been reelected for another term of
six years. When his present term expires
Allison will be year younger than his
colleague now is A man who has long
been very closely associated with him says
that his ambition now is to have a record
of the longest continuous service in the
Senate. At the end of his present term
his service will equal in length that of
Benton, and if he is then reelected. he
Will be if he lives and desires it, his time
of continuous service will pass that of Nor
rill. Thirty-six years service in the Sen
ate would bring Allison to the age of
eighty. Morrill, was about eight years older
than that when he died, while yet in the
Senate.
From all tks it is argued that Allison
will not consent to become a candidate for
the vice presidency. He is not credited
with that peculiar partisanship which
would lead him to make vicarious sacri-
flee at this time of life. and the party lead
ers would hardly insist that a situation 50
desperate exists as to demand it of him.