New-York tribune., 1900-07-29
IN SEARCH OF CANDIDATES.

The anti-imperialsts seem to be in hard luck.
Maybe it isn't the anti-imperialists whom we
rnean Maybe it is the Liberty party, or the
third ticket men, or the Nursery Rangers, or the
Plaza Hotel Afternoon Tea Club. AS Mr. John
Jay Chapman has pointed out, it is difficult to
identify the different twos and threes who have
from time to time gathered together but not
coalesced in their efforts at the Plaza Hotel and
Indianapolis to devise plans to defeat Mckinley.
AS he says 1t was a mistake for the different
bodies 20 60 to the same hotel Their identity
became confused, and now they are much like
Mark Twain and his twin who perished in the
bathtub. Nobody knows just which of the anti
movements is which. With nursery experts like
Mr.. Chapman admitting the difficulty of the
situation. we think we may be pardoned If we
confess that we are a trife mixed. But to re-
turn to our text they are in hard luck whoever
they are and whatever they are called.
They started out to run some real big grown
I'D man for President. They We're going to make
nominations which would put the old parties in
the shade and draw by the personal force of
their candidates all the honest Democrats and
Republicans together in support of men whom
they would delight to honor. The three names
most frequently on the lips and pens of the
propagandists Of this faith were Senator Hoar,
ex-President Cleveland and ex-Speaker Reed.
But alas the bitterness of fate! In spite of
Mr. Garrison's canonizng sonnet and in spite
of Mr.. Garrison's warning sonnet Mr.. Hoar
made himself unavailable by supporting Presi
dent Mckinley for reelection. OF course, such
"apostasy" was very trying to the what's-thei
names, but they had other good men to fall
back upon Mr.. Cleveland was even better He
never had been tainted by Republicanism or
Protection or any of the other wicked things
Mr. tT1rc
after all. But sad to relate, Mr. Cleveland all
of a sudden appears as doubling the wisdom Of
a third ticket He seems to agree with Mr.
Hoar so far as to think this is real contest be-
tween Mr.. Bryan and Mr.. Mckinley. and has
no intention of being used a catspaw TO help
Mr. Bryan. Mr.. Reed, however, was still in re-
serve. The wha'd'-yOu-c liens were from the
start rather inclined to admit that Mr.. Cleve-
land had earned exemption from his country's
q. e. their call and some of them wrote letters
saying that Mr. Reed was the proper man to
draft for the burden. There would have been
obvious advantages in that arrangement. AS
lifelong Republican with host Of Republican
admirers ii might have been expected that he
would If a candidate draw more heavily from
the Republican than the Democratic strength
and that is what the third ticket was meant to
do, if it did anything at all. Mr.. Reed, how
Republican campaign speeches in Maine
This is n sad situation How far 1t Is due to
the tendency of little men to enroll great men in
their company without authority. only TO meet
rebuff and repudiation, shall not attempt TO
say. The advocates Of the third ticket, how
ever. will do we'll to learn by experience and set
their hearts hereafter on men of tried faithful
ness. There is use In tuft hunting They
want to stand for principles, not names. 1t is
none of our affair, but we mOdestly suggest that
for such purpose no ticket better and more rep
resentative of the Plaza platform could be
found than this: For President Isaac H Klein
. of New York. For Vice-President John jaw
Chapman. of NewYork We know some ob1ec-
ton may be made because both come from the
same State. but that need cause no trouble
The Constitution does not forbid both candi-
dates to be from the same State. but simply
forblds elector TO vote for two men from his