The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-04-17
WASHINGTON view OF IT.


government--it is also the source If all,
or nearly all, political Information. At
Washington the politicians have their
ears to the ground all the time to
catch the sentiment Of the people. The
announcement of Admiral Dewey as a
candidate has set the politicians at
Washington a-speculating and a-goin'
and this is what one of them says:
when Admiral Dewey announced his
candidacy for the presidency the polit-
ical pilots smiled. Twenty-four hours
later the smiles had disappeared and ev-
eryone was trying to measure the force
of the ground swell which had set in
from any old quarter of the compass.
The very weakness of the admirals bid
gave 1t strength. For a man to offer
himself as q candidate for high Office
without stating in what principles he
believed, or by what party he wished to
be nominated seems ridiculous, but that
very fact makes it serious.
The Republican convention meets
first. Here all the Republican malcon-
tents, all the disgruntled office seekers,
all the men who oppose the Porto Rican
infamy, all the anti-expanson Repub-
licans-the Atkinsons and the Hoars-
will rally to Dewey. But Mckinley,
backed by the office holding delegations
from the south and by Mark Hanna's
millions, can make strong fight. If
1t had not been for the Porto Rican
mistake, his triumph would be absolute
ly certain. OF course, Mckinley may
withdraw so as to insure victory to his
party even at the price of defeat for
himself. But this is improbable In
all his changes of front he has adhered
steadfastly to the one principle only
that William Mckinley must be renom-
mated. He Is not likely to leave it now
and unless he does, he will get the nom
ination.
The Democratic convention meets two
weeks after the Republican, and in this
a two-thirds vote is necessary to nom
mate. The Eastern Democrats have
long been seaching for some one who
can defeat Bryan. Have they found him?
With Dewey at their head, victory would
be certain this fall. The gold Demo-
Gratis and the anti-imperialist Republic
ans would rally to him and he would
have a walk-over. But is such a victory
worth winning? Dewey is a Republic
an, although his wife is a Democrat.
Will he not prove another Cleveland?
A man who would try to drive his party
rather than follow it, man who would
take no advice, a man who, ignorant of
public men, would become a tool in the
hands of few. Would such a victory
not be even worse than defeat?
If both parts pass him by, as the
chances are that they will, what then,
ask the politicians? If the admiral runs
as an independent candidate, from
which party will he draw the most? The
south is enthusiastically in favor of him,
If we can believe what we hear The
anti-Bryan men, it may be asserted,
will stick to their colors and will not
vote for him, though there will be a
certain percentage of expansion Demo-
Gratis who will The anti-imperialist
Republicans will all vote for him, driven
as they have been from the Republican
party by the Porto Rican blunder. Be-
sides, he will have a large hero vote.
In fact, he will probably have support
;, enough to make him a dangerous oppo-
nent of both the old parties, If his for
ces were organized. But they are not
organized and there is no time to organ
ize them now. Few people not in polit-
ical life have any idea of the enormous
election. Enthusiasm is all very we'll
but it is discipline that tells nowadays
1t is safe to say that Dewey cannot be
elected unless he is nominated by one
of the old parties But he can defeat
one or the other of them. Which will II
be? Can any one doubt that it will be
Mckinley? There are thousands, and
perhaps hundreds of thousands, who
tra
would dislike to vote the Democratic
ticket in November, but who will never
cast their ballots for man guilty of the
two-faced attitude Of Mr.. Mckinley to-
ward Porto Rico, and who might bt
glad to vote for the victor Of Manila
An independent ticket with Admira
Dewey at it's head would be vastly pop.
ular with that class of Republicanos.
Some amusement has been derived
from Dewey's expressed opinion regard
ing the difficulties of the presidents Of
flee. Probably he has based his idea:
on a study of Mckinley. When he wa!
first approached on this subject upon hi:
return from Manila he declared that a.
he had been bred a sailor he knew
thoroughly only the life of the sea, anC
that the duties of the presidency called
for the qualifications of a trained states
man. He now says:
"Since studying this subject am con
WINGED that the Office OF president Is no
such a very difficult one to fill, his duties
being mainly to execute the laws o
congress"
The office which tried the sagacity o
the genius of Washington, Jefferson, tn
two Adamses and Lincoln, and assidu
ously but vainly sought by Clay, Web
ster, Calhoun, Blaine and Sherman
mot such a very difficult one to fiji?
The admiral takes long chances whel
he bases an opinion on the temporar,
success of such mediocre man as Pres
ident Mckinley. He should rather imi
tate the eastern sage and count no mai