Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-06-22
ELKlNS LOOKS AHEAD.
Predicts Reaiignment Of the PARTIES In
Next Campafgn--Business Issues
to the Front.

camuaign there will be realignment
of parties on business issues and the
Republicans will make perceptible
gains in the South and sustain con-
siderable losses in the North. There
are few men IN the country better
equipped to discuss national Issues
| from a purely practical business
standpoint than the senior Senator
from West Virginia. The views here
given were expressed in casual con-
yersation and not a formal interview.
Referring to President MeKinley's
recent announcement and the booms
now under way, he said it was idle
to speculate upon nomination which
is not to be made for three years to
come, If a selection had to be made
tomorrow or next week. there would
be less difficulty in venturing guess.
The names of several Senators who
have Presidential aspirations were
mentioned, but Senator Elkins shook
his head doubtfully and remarked that
while be entertained the highest ad-
miration for all of those gentlemen
and believed any one of them would
make an acceptable Presidential can
didate, he had grave doubts as to
whether the country would look to
the Senate to furnish the successor to
President Mckinley
The House. he said with great frank
ness. was better hatchery for Presi-
Dental candidates than the Senate.
1t was not unlikely that some leader
might spring up in the house before
the next convention meets. deliver a
speech which would make great i'm
preston upon the country and which
might lead to his nomination for the
Presidency. He was not prepared to
point out Presidential possibility
in the present membership OF the
House, but no justified his opinion by
asserting that one could never tell
three years in advance what was going
to happen in politics. Changes and
transformation were going on all the
time and in this progressive age new
leaders and new issues were constant
ly forcing themselves to the front.
Senator Elkins laughingly suggested
that when man gets into the Senate
he might as we'll shake hands and say
goodbv to his Presidential aspirations.
There was apparently disposition on
the part of the poeple:of the country
to say to Senator Now You are as
high as you ought to go. STAY there
if you can There was time when
the Vice Presidency was almost a
certain road 70 the Presidential chair.
That custom had passed away and the
present indications do not point TO an
early revival of promotion along that
line. There was also time when the
American mission to Great Britain
was regarded as desirable training
station for Presidential candidate.
bnt that factor has also become obso-
lete
Garfield was elected to the Presi-
dency before he took his seat in the
Senate. and Harrison did not reach
the Presidency until after he had been
defeated for reelection to the Senate.
Il remember very WELL continued
the Senator, talking with Harrison
after his defeat for the Senate He
was expressing considerable disap-
pointment at the result and was COM
planning that his efforts lin behalf of
the people were not appreciated.
! slapped. him on the shoulder familiariy
and told him that he should not take
such a gloomy view of the situation.
and added that the nrst thing he
knew the people OF the country would
make him President OF the United
States Thissmay have been an off
hand guess or an inspiration, but it
was afterward verified. =
| Going hack to the question of the
realignment of parties in the next
campaign Senator Elkins said there
alignment would be based entirely up
on business issues. The people OF
the south We're now appreciating the
| practical fact that business was bust
ness; sentiment was giving way TO
business enterprise and business sue
cess, and because of this growth of
commercial interests in the south the
Republicans might reasonably count
upon large gains in that section. In
Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Louis
lana, North Carolina. part of South
Carolina. and Florida the business
people were with the business men or
the Republican party. They believed
in Republican policies and realized
that their personal interests would be
benefited along Republican lines.
The only difficulty in the way of a
general breaking mn of the solid South