The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-06-19
ATTEMPTS TO CHECK THE STAMPEDE.
Continued From Page One.
We been pressing him out of New York

| Then Mr.. Hanna, the master OF the Re
publican party and the Mckinley admins
| tration, gave voice to his suppressed rage
All the brute in him was aroused. He be
came energy incarnate. Every friend o
| the Mckinley administration was notihc'
| that the fantastic and preposterous situa
| tton must end, and that the President mus
| not further be Inundated or mace ridicu
J lous.
The Governor had played a part and ha'
surrendered TO the sworn enemies OF th'
administration Thus far the administra
uon had refused TO interfere In any way
but now that there was a danger that Mr.
Platt and Mr.. Quay would succeed In Tor
eng upon the national ticket candidate
VINO had tried here in Philadelphia TO place
himself in the position OF savior or the
ticket. all the friends OF Mr. Mckinney
should unite To prevent further insult to the
President
I saw Mr.. Hanna Immediately after nc
had seized the situation in his hands. His
blunt, dull face was white. The comfortable
smile had disappeared There was stern
ness. if not ferocity. in the sullsn eye. the
set jaw and the hanging underlip
The struggle of the convention began in
delphia are filed with marching men. and
the sound of crashing music. Under the
white glare of electric lights. waves of gor-
geous color. flying banners and vistas Of
ser-ied hats go biiiowins through the high
ways.
But at the heart of the Republican party
there IS whitehead anger and the Governor
of New York Is being stabbed to death. The
= 2. M m
upon Governor Rooseveit's promise that he
would not accept the vice presidency under
any circumstances. Governor Roosevelt
made that promise 10 the President and to
Mr.. Hanna long ago. He made 1t In terms
so vehement and So explicit and under cir
.cumstances 50 grave tina. both the Presi-
dent AID Mr. Hanna believed him.
For that reason. Mr. Hanna, with the
whole power OF the Republican party Sc
cure in his hands. has refused to Interfere
In any way with the contest for the vice
presidency. and has scornfully ignored the
efforts of Plat, and Quay to compel Gov
erno- Roosevelt TO change his mind. He
felt secure.
Again and again the Governor has as
sured him that he would never consent to
have his name used in the convention. and
that If he Were to re nominated he would
rise I'm the convention and decline the
honor.
The question as to who should be Vice
President was a matter of no special inter-
est TO MIR. Hanna. except that he had de-
termined that Mr.. Platt and Mr.. Quay
should not succeed in humiiiating the ad-
miuistration.
Mr. Hanna had made the President, he
owned The National Committee, he dictated
the platform, and he controlled the cam
paign funds. II is beyond doubt that he
was willing TO let the convention name the
Vice President.
But the climax came to-day. Governor
Roosevelt grew weaker and weaker in his
refusal to be the candidate for Vice Pres
ident. 1t was whispered about, and ap-
parently. on good authority. that Mr..
Platt and other Republican leaders had
said plainly to Governor Roosevelt that il
he refused 20 take the nomination, and
so retire from New York State politics.
they could not assent to his nomination for
Governor again.
After that the Governors replies to those
who called upon him to know his inten-
tions became vague and unsatisfactory. His
fierce denunciations of the movement to
nominate him plot TO wreck his po-
liticai career ceased He had sent for Mrs.
Roosevelt. and she had advised him. IL is
said. not to yield 10 Mr.. Piatt Still the
Governors eye grew less stern.
Delegate after delegate who called upon
him was informed that he could make no
decision until the afternoon. The Iowa
delegates reported that the Governor had
refused to say that he would not take the
nomination If it was offered TO him by
the convention
The question had been put to him direct.
and he had refused to commit himself.
This semed TO confirm the charge that
the Governor had been cowed by Mr..
Piatt's threat All the newspapers in Phil
adelphia announced in faring headlines
that the Governor would accept. Thou
sands of Mckinley and Roosevelt buttons
suddenly made their appearance In the
streets The triumphant shouts Of the
Piatt tribe were heard everywhere.
Presently Governor Roosevelt went to
see Mr. Hanna and begged him to use his
influence to end the movement which was
becoming too great to resist.
Then Mr.. Hanna looked the Governor In
the eyes and said:
"It is in YOUR power TO stop the move
ment yourself You have but to announce in
plain terms that you will not accept the
for Vice President and the mat
ter will end at once."
The Governors reply was vague He said
that he did not mind the pressure put upon
him ty the New York delegation, but that
he found 1t difficult to oppose the movement
in other States.
After Governor Roosevelt had gone back
to his room. Mr.. Hanna made an investiga-
ton. The time had come for action. Gov
ernor Roosevelt had occupied the center of
the stage long enough. He had overshad-
owed the President. He had made himself
the chief figure OF the convention. Men
were talking about the Governor as the
only man who could save Mckinley from
defeat Mr.. Hanna sent for Senator Allison.
Ser ator Fairbanks and Cornelius n. Bliss
A long conference followed. and Mr.. Hanna
spoke his mind plainly. Within an hour
after this conference. Governor Roosevelt
issued a statement saying that he wanted
to be Governor of New York; that he
thought ne could serve his party best in
that Office. and hoping that his friends
wu Id taxa his view Of the matter.
This was the decision which he had prom
ised earlier in tne day. There was no hint
of refusal to be a candidate In the state
ment.
And, 10 add to the significance of his ut
terance. the Governor refused to say any,,
thing more. except that II was hard to tell
what he would do.
As soon as this statement was made pub
lie, the friends cf the administration who
were in Philadelphia announced that Gov
ernor Roosevelt had strutted and peacccked
long enough.
NJ GrosvenOr, the spokesman OF Presi-
dent Mckinley and the House of Repre-
sentatives, declared that the Governor was
nlaying game to make himself more i'm
portant than Mr.. Mckinley and to allow
the administrators enemies to win a VIC
To- tI,. N"a%sz Ian