Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-18
WINNING OF THE WEST
MADE NECESSARY BY THE PORTO
RICO BLUNDER
Local Expediency Constraining Re-
publican Leaders in Selecting
MckinIey's Running Mate.

Before the blunder was made by the re-
publicans in Congress on the Porto Rico
question there was no thought of the party
being constrained by the consideration of
local expedency in the selection of a can
didate for Vice President on the ticket
with Mckinley. 1t was not thought to be
necessary to look to the candidate for the
second place to add strength to the ticket.
1t was enough that the choice should not
be such as would be source of weakness.
Nor was 1t formerly felt that there was
any section of the country that had to be
particularly considered. The party was
felt to be strong in all sections-subject,
of course, to the usual conditions in the
southland where discomfort had caused
losses in '96 prosperity and patriotism
were expected to recover all the losses and
more, while in the east the opposing or
ganization, with Bryan at its head could
expect to regain nothing.
Due to Porto Rico BIunder.
All the serious consideration that Mr..
Hanna and other republican managers are
now giving to the question of locality and
political popularity in the search for
running mate for Mckinley is due to the
Porto Rican handicap that has to be over
come in the campaign this fall. The prob
lem of the west is nothing more than the
outgrowth of the Porto Rican question. In
consequence of the universal disapprovaI
be necessary to be guided in the selection
of a candidate to be put on the ticket with
Mckinley by the consideration of the weak
spots in the west. There is no apprehension
that even the popular resentment of the
Porto Rican tariff will endanger any of
the eastern states. except perhaps as to
Congress. so long as Bryan is at the head
OF the opposing party and Mckinley is op-
posed by Organism. Pennsylvania, New
York, Massachusetts,, New Jersey and Con-
necticut. and even Vermont, may protest
against the policy adopted rom Mr.. OK
nard by the republican leaders in the
House, but it is not conceived that any of
these states will go to the extreme of turn
ing to Bryan to emphasize their protest.
There is margin enough in the east to adj
init or much Indignation without danger of
the loss of an electoral vote. Moreover.
the expressions of resentment have been
more persistent and emphatic from several
important states of the middle west which
are more or less subject to sudden poiti-
cal fluctuations.
Dissatisfaction in the West.
The correspondence of the republicans
of Congress and newspaper expressions
from Illinois. Indiana. Michigan, Mime
sofa. Wisconsin and Iowa disclose a state
of public sentiment In those states that
seems alarming to men who are entirely
unused to hearing such expressions from
people they have always looked upon as
loyal, above the consideration of tempo
rary policy. Consideration of this public
sentiment was not SuInclent to defeat the
Porto Rican bill in Congress. but now that
the policy has been put into effect the most
earnest thought is being given to the ques-
ton of how the political consequences of
OFFENDING public sentiment may be avoided.
1t is this that leads to the agitation of
the question of "a strong western man. for
the vice presidential nomination. The ex-
preston of alarm is not limited to this
but goes further. The suggestion is being
made seriously by men of high standing in
Congress that the platform adopted at
Philadelphia must not fully commit the
party as to the permanency of the insular
policy the idea being that the course
adopted toward Porto Rico may be ex-
cused on the ground that conditions do not
warrant our concluding definitely as yet
what disposition we are to make of our
new possessions. and that as soon as that
has been settled policy will be adjusted to
suit the conditions.