Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-23
Senator Elkins Mentioned for the Vice
Presidency.
VERY CLOSE TO FHE PRESIDENT
Friendly to Corporations, but Pop
uIar With the Workingmen.
L O 0 K I n 6 TO 1 9 o 1

At the last meeting of the special COM
mittee of the republican national commit
| tee having charge of the coming meeting
of the republican national convention at
Philadelphia the name of Senator Stephen
B. ElkinS of West Virginia was openly dis
cussed in connection with the vice presden-
tial nomination. This is q fact which has
been learned since the meeting, which was
held at Philadelphia, and around the fact
centers much gossip and speculation. Since
the meeting and the talk about Senator
Elkins there has been more than a little
serious gossip in the Senate among the re-
publican leaders there. Senator Hanna
himself is understood to have most kind
ly feeling for the West Virginia senator,
but believes that he makes better man
for his party on the floor of the Senate than
he would presiding over the deliberations of
the body.
Doing Nothing Himself.
What may come of the talk about Sena-
tor Elkins is hard to calculate, although it
may be positively stated that he is doing
nothing in the matter one way or the other
He really does not know what he ought to
do, it Is said. His preferences are to re-
main in the Senate. but he recognizes the
high fonGr of the vice presidency. which
unless ne Slloulu secure tIt ioi
President in 1904, would crown the culmin-
alton of his public career.
Despite the fact that Senator Scott of
West Virginia committed himself to the
theory of western man, a few days ago
he would take off his coat and work 10y
ally for El5ins if his colleague should eN-
press desire to become Vice President.
West Virginia is one of the states on which
the advocates of western and eastern
man could settle as compromise. anyhow.
Personally, not even Senator Hanna is
closer to President Mckinley than Senator
Elkins, but this fact would make no diff
ference in the selection of running mate
if the President were convinced that New
York or an eastern man ought TO be Sc
lected. The positive statement has al
ready been made in The Star that the
President has made no promises and indi-
Gated no outright preference for New York,
or any man from that state, but the ma
jority of public men who know the PreSi-
dent and his ideas believe that this will be
the Presidents opinion when the time
comes to make a selection. The President
himself being from the west, it is thought
to be fair in him to look to the nomination
of an eastern or southern man as his run
ming mate. AS the south furnishes so lit
tie to the republican party it does not fig
ure heavily in the discussion
4 Friend of Corporations.
In public way it is said the only objec-
ton to Senator Elkins might be that he is
looked upon as friend of the corporations,
but this, it Is pointed out, would strengthen
the ticket in numerous ways, while the
presence of Mr.. Mckinley at the head of
the ticket would satisfy those who believe
that corpora tions should be held down.
Senator Elkins is also said to be popular
with many organizations of working men,
and this fact would aid in offSetting his
record of friendliness to money concerns.
To be elected senator from West Virginia
again Mr.. Elkins will have to make the
hardest fight of his life. The state is so
fixed by legislative districts that the re-
publican party has to have over 5000 ma
jority before it can have a majority in the
legislature; that is, republican presiden-
tial or state ticket might pull through by
as much as 1900, but this would not elect
the republican legislature. Senator Elkins
has twice carried his state under such ad-
verse circums tances, but he realizes the diff
ficulty of doing this right along.
Looking to 1904.
Another feature of the whole affair is
that in the play for Vice President this
time the presidential nomination four years
from now comes in. If New York secures
the vice presidency this year her chances
will probably be less for the presidential
nomination in 1904. Therefore. after all,
the nomination may be allowed to go to
some other state. Lieutenant Governor
Woodruff might make a good Vice Presi-
dent, il is said, but he would not make
presidential timber in four years. If he be-
comes Vice President he would have to step
down in four vars or take second place on
the ticket again with a new man at the
head. He could not, of course, go on the
ticket for second place four years from now
If a New York man secured first place at
that time on the ticket
Senator Spooner declines to say whether
he will allow his name to remain under
consideration for the vice presidential nom
inauon. He is holding off to what is to
be DONE.