The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-30
POLITICAL NOTES AND GOSSIP

POLITICAL NOTES AND GOSSIP
Aimed mt Henderson. - Republican
leaders in the House are responsible for
the statement that the Dolliver boom for
Vice President, which is apparently being
managed by men close to the Administra-
| tion-notably General Grcsvenor-is only
an expression of the party dissatisfaction
with the Hon. David Bremner Henderson
| as Speaker. This theory may strike the
initiated as a little farfetched. but 1t
| is put forward with so much earnestness
| by gentlemen who are supposed to know
| whereof they speak that it will at least
bear exploitation. Primarily, the view
| can be accepted as reasonable that the
| presiding officers OF both houses would not
| be chosen from the same State lneh II
goes without saying that If any Iowa man
| should be elected Vice President on the
ticket with Mr. Mckinley it would be
| difficult undertaking to elect an Iowa
| Speaker OF the next House, in the impIoD-
able event that the Republicans will carry
! the Congressional elections in November.
| From this standpoint 1t would seem e'i-
dent that the Dolliver movement Is not
altogether joke unless it be that ms
boomers are singing his praises now LOT
the purpGse OF adding to his stature III
| Iowa eyes and minimizing that OF General
Henderson on the principle that by these
tactics the Speaker will lose caste at
home and thereby be removed from the
| centre of the stage OF national politics.
Personally, there is no more popular man
on either side of the House than Doiliver.
He is a CHEEKY, even-tempered states
| man. never delivers blow and then runs
away from the antagonist. There is moth
| Ing stilted In his individuality or tyran-
meal in his leadership when entrusted
| with that responsibility. 1t is said that
| innumerable members on his side OF the
| House have written letters to National
| Convention delegates asking them to sup
| port. the candidacy of Dolliver. What this
| will amount to is not known. The aver
age member Of the House about exhausts
F, his political influence by gaining strength
enough to come to Congress. and not often
| can he influence the action Of National
| Convention delegates. At the same tine.
these appeals for Mr.. Dolliver which 1t is
said have been scattered all over the
country during the past week indicate
! that the movement is Of some significance.
1t is certainly significant that most of the
letter-writers are on the point Of revolt
| ing against what they call Speaker Hen
| derson's too severe rule. He is worse
| than Tom Reed ever was" said one Of
them yesterday. Reeds tyranny was
| made bearabIe by his neverfailing good
humor, but Henderson is tyrant without
the saving grace of humor.''
| Sentimental and PicturesGue-Mr
Hanna and his able coadjutcrs are striving
nightly as the days continue to fit by to
make the Philadelphia Convention some
thing more than tame ratification meet
| ing. They have succeeded exce!lently.
with the cid of tireless and resouro eful
press agents. in keeping the Vice Presi
Dental question open in the popular mind,
though of course nobody doubts that Mr..
Hanna, Mr.. Mckinley, ct al. know the
name. age, complexion. previous condition
| of servitude, and postoffice address OF tie
running mate. However, with such con-
| summate skill has the public Curiosity been
whetted TO razor edge on this point that
| the convention attendance will be very con-
| sderably increased thereby. Additional
| attractions which have been arranged will
| lend sentimental and picturesque inter-
est to the convention These consist o. the
election of two women delegates from iaho
| and Utah. and Of a promised reunion On
| the stage of the convention of as many
| surviving founders Of the Republican party
as can be found who are still true to the
| faith. The press agent has discovered,
| almost under the caves of the convent on
| hall. the clergyman who opened the first
| Republican National Convention with
| prayer. This pious man will be exhibit
| No. 1 on the stage, as he will do the prin-
cipal praying at Philadelphia. Ard right
! eloquent appeal to the .thi9ne OF grace he
| is expected.to make. too. II he is permit
| ted to utter the speech which the spirit
| dictates. How many surviving founders
will be on hand is not yet; known. but it is
said to be the intention OF the management
to make this feature entirely satisfactory or
| refund the money. The women delegates
of course, will be expected to perform the
roles assigned to them as exhorters. They
| will appeal to '.our homes and Hresdes."
Also they will dilate, upon the cause they
| represent and which can only be entrusted
| to the keeping OF the Republican organiza-
ton. Altogether, therefore, an interesting
show is promised at Philadelphia from
| June 10 to about the 22d. The convention
| proper will last three days.
| Marked for S1aughtcr.-At a meeting
the other evening around the hospitable
board of the Hon. Mark Hanna the name
of the Hon. Macaenas E. Benton of the Fiji
| teeDIn WIS placed IN the
doom book Col. Dick Kerens, the Mis-
| souri, member of the Republican National
Committee, was present, and it was upon
his representation. 1t is said, that the
Hannaites selected Benton for slaughter
Mr.. Benton represents that region of Mis-
souri, in which there has been such re-
markable development of the zinc and
lead interests during the past two years.
Numerous immense fortunes have been
made there since the election of Mr. Nc
| Kinley, as numerous immense fortunes
were also made in the same region while
Mr. Mckinley was struggling with charit-
able debtors in Ohio before he came to the
White House. Indeed. the zinc mines of
the district are the largest in the world
and for more than twenty years they have
been yielding their wealth to the industri-
| Gus and enterprising. In their simple way
the Missourians have been content to be-
lieve that the good Lord sprnkled the
zinc along that part of the earth several
cons ago, but Colonel kerens appears re-
Gently to have discovered that Mr. McKin-
ley and not the good Lord did it. Accord
ingly he has induced the Hannaites to take
his view OF the matter and profit thereby.
n is stated that right readily did tba,,