New-York tribune., 1900-08-24
MR.. oDELL's SURRENDER.

The announcement, or, to speak more exactly'
the acknowledgment, made yesterday py MT.
Odel that he would accept the Repuoncan
nomination for Governor if it should be offered
to him is universally interpreted to mean that
he will be nominated. Thus, after orlet In
teryal there is presented TO public observauon
another example of yielding to political press
ure. which is scarcely less notable tnan that
given at Philadelphia last June Governor
Roosevelt had no sooner submitted to the de-
mand that he should occupy the second place on
the National ticket than Mr.. Odell was hailed
by his associates in the party organization as
the logical candidate for the GOvernorship. But
Mr. OdeT with equal promptness, declared that
he could not take the nomination and that the
proposal must be dropped at once Neverthe-
less il was not dropped. On the contrary
determined effort to overcome his reluctance De-
gan there and then, and has continued ever
since with occasional appearances OF Wiling
ness TO let other suggestions be considered by
way of showing that they were Impossible AS
the canvass proceeded after this fashion, occa-
sional deviations only serving to make more
nlain the course upon which the organization
was resolved Mr.. OdeI began to show, as
Colonel Roosevelt had shown some months be-
fore, signs of impatience verging on irritation
but no signs of yielding. He said only week
ago that he had settled the matter completely
and finally, that he understood the situation
himself and demanded to be taken at his word
everywhere as he was in Newburg by the
friends and neighbors who knew him best But
even this positive declaration produced no effect
at party headquarters, and yesterday he sur
rendered.
Such so far as the public is informed. is the
history of the interesting struggle just termi-
mated We hasten to add that we do not ques-
ton Mr.. OdelIs sincerity. There is no reason
to doubt that he much preferred to devote his
time to the duties of political leadership and the
business pursuits In which he is successful. He
has spoken also of private claims which he has
not cared to explain, but which are supposed to
be of an exacting nature, and think that
even those who would have been willing to
suspect him Of playing game generally admit
the genuineness OF his protestatiOns. Mr.. Odell
is commonly recognized as a straightforward
man. to whom artifce in a matter Of personal
concern would be especially distasteful. After
q stout fight his powers of resistance were over
come and he renders to the organization that
obedience which he has so often demanded.
That, as we suppose, is the attitude in which
Mr.. Odell now reluctantly finds himself.
1t is not necessary, however, to assume that
because Mr.. Odeu has been frank and artless
there has been no manipulation of political
and popularity with which he has generally
been credited, we are scarcely prepared to &C
cept at their face value the accounts which the
Republican machine Is industriously producing
Of the manner in which his nomination has al
ready been virtually brought about ten days be-
fore the Convention. We do not believe, for
example, that the roads throughout the interior
Of the State have been choked with Republicans
OF all political varieties fastening to demand Of
county and township leaders that Mr. Odell and
nobody else should be nominated. The fact is
that Mr.. Platt and his assistants with the ex-
cepton Of Mr.. Odell himself, having from the
outset been determined to make him the candi-
date. have naturally been desirous to create the
| impression that public sentiment compelled the
choice. This is year in which such belief
would be valuable addition to their assets
| and well worth a concerted effort to procure it.
Mr.. Odell is an old hand in politics, and would
| not be deceived by such tactics in the case Of
another man. II he has not clearly discerned
| the process by which his wishes have apparent
! ly been thwarted, that fact will not make him
! less acceptable to the machine or to those by
! whom the machine in general is less respected
/ than is the chairman Of the State Committee