New-York tribune., 1900-06-21
SOJIE INSIDE HISTORY.
HOW ROOSEVELT CAME TO ACCEPT A
NOMINATION HE DID NOT WANT.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.I

NOMINATION HE DID NOT WANT.
rpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBUxEI
PHILADELPHIA. June 2O-The Presidential
situation as IT has developed and will come 10
fruition in the nomination Of Theodore Roose-
Welt is summed up by a careful observer as
follows:
Governor Roosevelt was perfectly honest and
above board in the position he has taken and
held TO- that he did not want the Preesl-
Dental office. BY nature he is united for IT,
for he is vitality clever and needs work 10
care for his surplus energy. The Vice-Presi-
dency does not supply this. Nominaliy the
Vice President presdes over the Senate, put
that august body always elects q president VINO
can in the absence Of the Nice-Presldent,
who is in reality the superfous fifth wheel TO
the Governmental coach. II is an ONCE that'
too. entails entertaining and calls Tor great e&-
penditure when properly kept up, and Roose-
Welt is comparatively poor man. Inc oIHce;
too. is looked burial ground or pohticI
hopes, and, all these things combined 10 iaI s
the Governors determination not to run for the
office
here from New York. and he came here nrnly
determined TO adhere to his announcement that
he would for the office. But ne was ap-
soIutely unprepared for the overwhelming de-
rnand for HIS nomination he was to be called on
to face and II is not too much to say that he
was absolutely overcome by IL. AS delegation
after delegation came to him and urged him TO
run little by little it was borne in on him that
he must respond TO this demand Of the country
for his services.
In the mean time however, other forces had
been at work, and there were those who had
axes TO grind. Platt was and Is at any and all
hazards crazy TO get Roosevelt out OF New
York and away from the Governorship. The
Governors forcing of the franchise tax arrayed
the moneyed interests in a mass against MIN,
and it is not too much TO say that the repre-
sentatives of over 81. 000, 100000 got together
and determined that he must at all hazards be
got out Of his place as CEet tbese iD- n-
terests, and knew intimately of their determina-
ton They coincided with Platts own lnclna-
tions. for Roosevelt has not been an amehapIe
Governor 10 the easy boss" and so Platt was
for any and every thing that would get hoose
Welt away from New-York.
cent defeat which he attributes in great degree
10 Hanna and. knowing that Hanna dld not
favor Roosevelt he thought he saw way 10
even the score with the Ohio Senator ana SO
he had Pennsylvania come out roughshod Tor
Roosevelt
Hanna did not favor Roosevelt; his antipathy
TO him dated back TO just prior TO the Spanish
war when Roosevelt. then Assistant secretary
of the Navy, quasi Cabinet of1clal would not
keep ami could not be kept quiet, and his ut
terances at that time did much to precipitate
the fight which Hanna and his friends were so
bitterly opposing
COULD NOT RESIST THE PRESSURE.
Hanna originally favored Dover, but. he
being unavailable, he turned to Bliss and came
TO Phila delphia favoring the New-York man for
the second place on the ticket This was the
situation on last Sunday. That day Roosevelt
worn down by the constant onslaught of the
delegates wishing him to run. began TO weaken
and late in the day all but made up his mind to
reconsider his previous announcement and TO
consent to accept the nomination Hanna was
dining this night at Mr.. Griscoms home in the
country and sleeping there, and the Governor,
rightly feeling that IL would be discourteous TO
take action in his absence, slept on the matter,
intending to see the Senator in the morning and
advise him OF his change of mind.
In the mean time two prominent Republicans,
while Mr.. Hanna out Of town on Sunday
evening, telephoned TO the President personally
10 ascertain his exact desire on the question
of the V!ce-Presidency The President firmly
and "a equivocally took the track he had al
along held, that he had no preference in the
matter and wished the Convention to make its
choice Of its own free will. Monday morning
Senator Hanna returned to town, and he and
the Governor had a stormy interview, in when
the Senator demanded 10 know what position
the Governor held whether he stuck by his
announced determination not to run. or had
changed his mind as was everywhere rumored
The result Of this interview friction and
resultant bad feeling between the two. and they
parted
Monday went by and Roosevelt, i'll advised by
the friends surrounding him. put forth his
statement which complicated matters still more
for in line ne said he wouldn't and in the
next he said he would. There Is no question
that this statement temporarily hurt Roosevelt.
and this feeling found its outward expression IN
the welcome that met him on his first entrance
into the Convention. The cheering then was
spasmodic and feeble. and created much after
comment.
In the mean time the forces opposing Roose-
Welt got together and tried TO unite a candi-
dale but without avail for could he
and pending the search for available man
all the candidates kept in the field. The
temporary chill that had come over RoOsevelts
popularity wore off however, by Wednesday
and the demand for his nomination grew hour
by hour until by evening IL apparent Il
the most casual observer that nothing short OF
an act of God could prevent the Governor
nomination for the second place on the ticket
The delegates would not be denied. and late IL
the evening Hanna. realizing the inevitable
withdrew his opposition. and gave out his state
ment that makes certain Theodore ROOseYelts
receiving the Republican nomination for Vice
President Of the United States to-day