The age-herald., 1900-06-08
POLITICAL GOSSIP AT
 NATIONAL CAPITAL
BY ALBERT HALsTEAp


 Washington, June 7.-(Special)-As far as any centering of public opinion on the
 availability of any one for the republican or the democratic vice-presidental nomina- ton is concerned the two great national conventions might be several months off. The republicans are still at sea. Names
 are mentioned one day and forgotten, then
 revived. There is still talk of Secretary Long, but not as much as a few days ago. Representative Deliver of Iowa seems to be growing possibility. Senator Allison of Iowa, Senator Spooner of Wisconsin and Senator Fairbanks of Indiana are spoken of available and the hope is fre-
 quently expressed that one of them might consent to be a candidate. General Hem
 derson of Nebraska is also discussed. Many think that Theodore Roosevelt will finally
 be nominated, notwithstanding his state- ment that he is not a candidate. It ap-
 pears that the president is really taking no hand in the selection of a vice-president, except that when asked he has said he thought one or two men were not availa- ble In circles usually well informed the l opinion prevails that notwithstanding the 1 customary unwllingness of senators to be | considered in connection with the vice. presidency none of those who have been
 mentioned would really refuse to accept a
 nomination if it were rendered him. Democrats generally thing New York CT should be named for vice-president, but since the ice trust scandal they more of the view that a Tammany man must not be chosen than ever before Even before that ice trust business developed the idea prevailed that it would be unwise to select a Tammany man. Naturally that opinion
 is more confirmed. But no one in particu-
 lar is now being boomed from New York, though Elliot Danforth seems more favor ably regarded than any one else. The de- termination of ex-Representative Shively of Indiana to be a candidate for governor of the Hoosier state after his withdrawal from the race some time ago puzzles polit- ical observers in this city. Their idea seems to be that MT. Shively re-entered the | race because his friends thought him the strongest candidate and persuaded him to seek the nomination. His candidacy for | governor rather takes the edge off his | vice. presidential boom.
 The following statement by the treasury | bureau of statistics is of much interest: The people of the United States pay | ing a million dollars a day for tropical products used in manufacturing or food | and drink, and most of which are produced | in the islands which have come into closer | relationship with the United States | through the events Of the past two years. | The April Summary of Commerce and F'i- nance, which has just been issued by the | treasury bureau of statistics, shows that l in the 10 months ending with April, our | imports of tropical products have been | over $500, 000, 900 in value, thus averaging | fully million dollars a day, and indicating 1 that for the full year they will reach $965,- O0O OOO.
 India rubber, flbers, raw silk, cotton, gums, cabinet woods, indigo, ivory, dye
 woods and certain lines of chemicals make
 up the share of this sum, which the man.
 ufacturers of the United States take and require in constantly increasing quantities. The importation of materials for use in manufacturing has increased steadily,
 and forms more than one-third of our
 total imports, and the large proportion of this comes from the tropics. Of India rub- Der alone the imports of the 10 months amount to more than $27, ,0O0,0 GOO; of fibers, to $20 900, GOO; of unmanufactured silk, S4000O, GOO; of cotton, over $7,000,000; of gums, more than $5,00O,000 while cabinet woods, dye woods, indigo and ivory also aggregate several millions
 Of the constantly increasing proportion of imports of foodstuffs, sugar of course is first and of that the proportion which comes from the tropics Is vastly greater in the past year than in immediately preced- ing years, the Dutch East Indies, which lie inst alongside of the Philippines, being now our largest single source of supply for sugar For the 10 months the importations of sugar are more than $50 000, 900; those of coffee nearly $50, GOO, 900; tea nearly $1000O,- 900; tobacco, SIG, 0000; tropical fruits and nuts, $15 COG, ,000 cocoa and chocolate $5,- GOO 000 and such other articles spices, rice, olive oil, etc., add several millions to the total.
 THE Ell ETH AISIRICI