The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-22
THE DEWEY BOOM.
(The Verdict. }

lie would be an lll-natureu Alnefl-
can to speak otherwise than with a
pleasant charity of Dewey and his
boom" Dewey, moved by folks who
seek to use him, declared himself IA
candidate for the Presidency. That
was Il mistake. Dewey should have
kept himself free from such error.
Dewey is good sailor and a good
fighter. He is bad politician. Had
he known the land as well as he does
the sea, he would have steered clear
of this rock. AS it is, his simplicity
and his vanity will get him laughed
at. OF two things Dewey may pe
sure: Bryan will be the nominee of
the Democracy; the Republicans will
rename Mckinley. Bryan will be Sc
lected for his side because the party
asks it with one voice: Mckinley
must run for the Republicans to
drop him would be a party plea of
guilty" From all of which Dewey
must observe, as he plunges full
steam ahead into the sea of politics,
that he will be driven to make his run
as an independent. The Verdict de-
clines to regard the Dewey candidacy
as of moment or political weight.
Doubtless it is Dewey's right to aspire
to the White House. The risk he
runs is the risk of that ridicule which
all attract who wildly fatuously
scramble for the llnattainable. 1t
would have been better-for hlm-had
Dewey's ambition stuck close to
decks and 12-inch guns in their eX-
preston.
Dewey, if he runs, will run as an
Independent" or rather as an irregu-
lar Republican. From its stand as a
Democrat, The Verdict hopes Dewey
will be in the field. Why? Because,
so far as his canvass detractS or
weakens any one, that one will be
Mckinley. As first step, Dewey is a
Republican-one of darkest and most
let-lille hue. There are thousands
who know this. Dewey for years
and those not far astern-worked at
Il department desk in Washington.
And while Dewey is not Il voluble
mariner, nor one to wax uproarious
anent politics, he by no means, while
at the Capital, hid the light of his
convictions under bushel. AS fast
as question occurred. or an issue
asked an answer, Dewey vigorously
and clearly expressed himself as a Re
publican. Should Dewey be in the
field. it would be an aid to Bryan and
the Democracy Not a man who would
vote for Bryan with Dewey out,
would vote for Dewey with Dewey in.
The sailors canvass would not disturb
Bryan ballot. On the excellent 9th
er hand, one might expect it to bleed
the Mckinley strength. Dewey should
gather about him hardly million
votes. That figure is one-fourteenth
OF all that will be cast. Those mil
lion votes of Dewey's will come from
california, Oregon and Washington
IN the West, and such as Illinois. Wis
consin, Ohio, New York and Massa-
chusetts in the East. These latter
States-most of them-are today in
hot dispute between the parties. They
are 10 be the backgrounds this Fall.
10 take votes from Mckinley in these
feglons-even the loss to him of 1OO.-
600 votes-might well and easily beat
MS reelection to death. Dewey. as
stated, would call to his standards
full one million ballots. They would
be made up of two sorts; muewumps
and disgruntled Republicans. There
are vast hordes of these latter. They
loathe Mckinley; they look on him as
a tool of Hanna-a thing supple to
the Trusts. They voted for Mckinley
in 1896; they won't vote for him
again. And yet many OF these would
balk at voting with the Democrats.
They are in the Brutus corner re-
versed; it's not that they love De-
Inocracy more. but Mckinley less.
Most. fairly all, in fact, of these. in
light between Bryan and Mckinley
would have stayed at home. With
Deweys name they find a refuge;
ana still preserve their records as Re-