Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-05
DEWEY A CANDIDATE.

A
The dispatch sent out by the Asso-
ciated Press, giving an alleged inter
view of a New York World reporter
with Admiral Dewey, Will be received
with a large grain Of allowance until
the information contained therein. that
Admiral Dewey is willing to be cam
didate for the Presidency, has been
further confirmed 1t may or may not
be true. The World sometimes prints
the truth.
Whether true or not II will serve to
revive 3 TOPIC that has been a good
deal discussed since the battle OF Man
liza Bay. and to conjure UP q possible
political situation that would be both
interesting and anomalous. For the
sake of a little speculation it may be
accepted as fact that Admiral Dewey
has authorized the World to. announce
to the American people that his deci-
sion not to run for the Presidency is
rescinded." How. then, would the mat
ter stand?
This is not exactly an EZRA Of good
feeling" in American politics. The time
SO earnestly predicted and prayed for
by the mugwump. when political par
ties shall cease to be the agency for
government, is still somewhere we'll
beyond the present political horizon.
1t was only day before yesterday that
the party lash drove the United States
Senate to pass a measure to which the
Senators were at heart opposed. The
opening for a Presidential candidate
without party Is. therefore. not parti-
cularly attractive. certainly not suffi-
GENTLY so to induce the very sensible
Admiral of the Navy to give up COM
Portable certainty for it. Admiral
Dewey would hardly be a candidate on
his own initiative. Admiral George
Dewey is not Hon. Wharton Barker.
But is 1t not an exceedingly signifi
cant fact that If Dewey would not be a
candidate. save by the nomination Of
one or the other of the two great politi-
cal parties. that nobody could say up
to yesterday to which party he be-
longed? From which party does he ex-
pect or from which would he accept a
nomination were 1t rendered him?
Granting that he is willing to be a can
didate. does he purpose to be an OPP
ponent OF Mr.. Bryan at Kansas City or
of Mr.. Mckinley at Philadelphia?
There is probably no man In the
whole country that commands higher
respect or a warmer admiration from
his fellow citizens than Admiral Dewey.
But there is small chance Of his being
able to defeat either Mr.. Mckinley or
Mr.. Bryan for the nomination at the
hands of their respective parties. I'm
doubtedly there are thousands of men
In either party who would like to see
him nominated. who would like to see
him invested with the highest office in
the gift OF the American people: but
there are also many thousands who do
not believe he is available, while yet
other thousands believe that it would
be a serious mistake for him to throw
himself into the turmoil OF the flercest
political campaign of quarter OF a
century.
The crude injustice Of the house Incl
dent should have taught Admiral
Dewey the fickleness of popular favor
Principles. not personal popularity, will
he the determining factors in this cam
paign, reserving. of course. n large
sphere of beneiccnt activity for Mr..
Hanna's barrel. Therefore, however
popular Admiral Dewey may be, the
nominees are likely to be men who are
and have been identified previously
with the issues around which the DoIiti-
cal battle will wage.