The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-17
POLITICAL NOTES AND GOSSIP.

! "" ~ the fncc.-NeXt Monday the
Hoosier Republicans will hold their State
convention at indianapolis to nominate
! Governor Iand other State officers few
| erlsh interest is felt in Washington in .he
outcome of the convention for the reason
| that Indiana ahas been the storm centre
Of the partyi protest against the Porto
Rican iniquity. The race for Governor is
very close between the Hon. John l.. Grit
fifth and the Hon. Winfield T. Durbin. with
the chances apparently in favor of the
former. 1t is strenuously denied that the
Administration at Washington is com
mitted to either candidate, despite the
fact that Colonl Durbin is a member of
the Republican National Committee, and
long has been on close terms with both
Messrs. Hanna and Mckinley. Naturally
the chief interest of the Administration
centres in the platform to be adopted.
State Chairman Charles Hernly spent sew
erai days in Washington last week, and
left here Friday night With a draft of the
platform in his pocket. This draft is said
TO have been drawn by Senator Fairbanks,
after numerous conferences he and Chair
man Hernly had with the President and
Mr.. Hanna, OF course it very heartily
endorses the Mckinley Administration,
DIT Its chief feature is its tender treat
ment of the Porto -Rican question. 1t will
be recalled that Mr.. Hernly rushed to
Washington while the storm of protest
against the OXnard bill was at its height
in Hoosierdom and earnestly begged that
the bill be so materially modified as to
quell the threatening disturbance in his
State 1t will also be recalled that Mr..
Hernly went back to Indiana and assured
the Hoosiers that he had learned at the
White House that there was no harm in
the bill. At the same time the draft of
the platform which Mr.. Hernly carried
away from Washington Friday contains no
endorsement of that measure in SPECIFIC
terms. The document merely approves the
Administration colonial policy in gem
eral, without singing out any special
phase of 1t. In view of the parlous condi-
lions in Indiana even this must be con-
sidered a victory for the Administration.
for had the Hoosiers held their State con-
yention few weeks ago undoubtedly the
pressure of public opinion would have
forced them to animadyert very severely
upon a measure which even so distin-
guished a Hoosier as the Hon. Benjamin
Harrison characterized as "a serious de-
parture from right principles. However,
it is considered possible that the delegates
may take the convention away from the
managers when they assemble at India
napolis next week and do little resolut- !
ing of their own. ignoring the platform
which Chairman Hernly Travelled all the |
way to Washington to get for them.
The scheme Abnndoncd.-At 2 o'clock |
yesterday afternoon Col. Charles Dick. |
Secretary of the Republican National Com
mittee. told Times representative that |
there was no foundation for the reports !
that the Hon. Mark Hanna had gone to |
Old Point Comfort either for his health or
to meet In conference various party man.
ayers. including even President McKin
ley for the purpose of deciding on the |
Vice Presidential candidate. Mr.. Hanna
will return to Washington tonight" said
Colonel Dick. land you will see that he is
in as good health as he has enjoyed for
a long while" Colonel Dicks statements
were verified by the arrival in Washing
ton last night of Mr.. Hanna and his fam
lily party who accompanied him to Old
Point. The interesting question now is,
What caused such sudden abandonment of
the plan to hold conference at Old Point
Comfort That it was Intended to hold
the conference there is no room for doubt. |
That the President and Mrs. Mckinley
expected to go there today is well known,
as the Presidential suite in the Chamber
lin Hotel had been engaged for them and
was putin readiness Tor their reception
Obviously something entirely unlocked for
has interviewed between the formation OF
The conference plan and its execution. The
most probable theory advanced in explana-
ton of it is that Secretary Longs return
10 the city from the West and his ex-
pressed willingness to be made Mr.. Me
iinley's running mate removed all cause
If worry to the party managers over the
all of the ticket. Presumably. then. Mr.
-ong's candidacy meets with the hearty
approval of everybody close to Mr. McKin-
ey. and there is no longer need of getting /,
he machine managers together in some
equestered place, where the Vice Presi-
ental problem can be freely discussed.