The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-10-03
SENATOR MASON IS ON HAND.
Question of Who Shall BE CullUE $
Colleague Is Engrossing the
Attention of the
Leaders.
REPTBLIC SPECIAL.

Senator Mason is the only candidate Tor
United States Senator. with headquarters
and an aggressive corps of workers headed
by Doctor Berr Of Chicago. congressman
Caldwell. Kern Cannon. Warner ard Hop
kins. Senator Cullom and prospective can
,lidate for Senator Frank o. Lowden also
are present Mr.. Dawes is absent His
personal relations with President Mckinley
and family We're so intimate. friend of the
former Comptroller stated. that he did not
feel like engaging in a campaign for office
so soon after the death of his friend. MIR.
Of the month.
congressman Hopkins. Prince and VAR
ner are having heap OF trouble in gather
ing the wires in their new districts. and a
stubborn fight will be put Up against each.
Mr.. CannOn's presence Is not explained py
himself or his friends.
ATos: of the appointees of Governor Yates
are on the ground. and it ia stated they will
mect In conference tomorrow forenoon.
Among others are: Wardens Murphy. Nal
larry and Tanner of the nenitentiar'es:
French and Neville Railroad Commission
ers: Handy Jones. John Lynch. e. VI. Tin
ney and about every trustee OF the State In
stitutions. Colonel KruEhoff and Tom
Needles, Senators Koch and Pembarton.
Colonel Ewing. Representatives Trautmann
and Chamberlain and n lot OF small fry are
also in evidence.
Chairman Hopkins on Hand.
Chairman John p. Hopkins of the Demo-
cratic State Committee Is on hand. en-
gagged principally in extending his acGuaint-
ance. Other Democrats include former
Congressman Downing Robert Ross. James
L. Hogan. Representatives Gray. Witt.
GriGshv. conlee and Senator FarreIly. who
drove his horse In the go trOt this after
noon. bringing her under the wire second.
counting from the last In a field of thirteen.
The Senator explained his de feat by point
ing to the number IS on his arm.
Congressman Warner is trailing every
representative from Coles and Douglas
counties he can find, and is especially
anxious TO meet one Charles G. Eckhardt
Of Tuscoa. Fred Kern and Frank Cald-
well. as usual, have watchfu, eyes for con-
stituents.
Speaker Sherman is one of the busiest
politicians present. His friends openly
avow his candidacy for Governor in 1901.
Not one of the big leaders has an opinion
Of value on the prospective muss next year.
The senatorial situation is the main topic.
of course. and the Dawes legion far out
numbers the opposition. which is confined
in the main, to the State administration
Mason's quarters have been crowded and
his managers claim Endorsements from
twelve of the nineteen Republican counties
that held conventions this fall The Dawes
leaders smile at the claim and ask that the
Endorsements be printed and framed. They
empha size the word Endorsements
Little Comfort for Democrats.
Among the visiting lenders is former Rev.
resentative Sam Wilson of Neoga. He
was a delegate to the last State conven-
ton and was instructed TO vote for Yates.
l doubt If he would obey instructions IL
he could recall his action in the Peoria
convention. He expressed the opinion that
Cumberland County would give no more
Democratic majorites.
There is no doubt in my mind" declared
the ardent follower Of Repnblicanism that
our county has given Its last Democratic
majority. The party is split UP the back.
and nothing has held the matoritv in line
but the candidates for Congress Now that
We are in Il solid Republican district and
there is no chance for n Democrat. we will
sweep the county. Our preferences for Sem
ator? | have heard no discussion of the
subject. l suppose most Of those who have
mentioned II to me are for Mr. Dawes, but
there is no interest In the matter, and. any
how. Cumberland will nave little or nothing
to say In selecting the candidate. and for
this we have to thank Senator Pemberton.
and we Will not soon forget or forgive him
Our county is Cullom county, and 1 am n
Culiom man, and II the Senator will tell
me who he wants will be for his fellow
David G. White. former Representative
from Mason County. said Republicans up
his way were Dawes. and no other names
were mentioned. While sentiment seemed to
be tending in the direction of Dawes. there
was not much pronounced sentiment. Dawes
was regarded as an honest, capable and
able young man, who would reflect credit
on his party and State
Whom Does CullOm Prefer:
Most everybody Is Specializing about the
position Senator Cullom will take in the
senatorial fight. / have said all along that
Cullom would turn up for Dawes when the
showdown was demanded. He feels kindly
toward Mr.. Mason. It is true. and is say
ing nothing that will injure Mr.. Mason's
chances for the caucus nomination. But as
"A matter OF fact Mr.. Mason stands no man.
ner Of a chance for reelection, and nobody
knows it better than Senator Cul.om. It
does not inture Dawes for Cullom and his
friends and all the party leaders in the
State to say words of grace and hope to
Mason. None know so we'll as they that
Senator Mason cannot succeed himself. II
troller of the Currency for senator Mason
to remain In the field as the principal OPP
ponent Of Dawes. for it .centralizes the fas
ends of the Dawes oppositi n on man who
will not have following enough in the eau
Gus to make him a factor for good or evil.
l write this with all due. respect to Sena-
toi EhdSoip VIM. peTSDUdlly, Is one OF l1e
best-liked and ablest Republicans in the
State. Ii 1t were possible fer him to ad-
dress the ,. Republican Joint CAUCUS In jan
uary. 1905. before It votes for Senator he
might sweep the board. for there is not in
Illinois the equal of Mason on the stump.
He has more than once forced an unwilling
and even antagonistic convention to In
struct for him by the mere power of his
eloquence.
Where Senator Mason Erred.
Senator Mason's fatal mistake was when
threw down y
Mckinley in 1898. There are as many ad-
mirers of the late President in Illinois as
there are in Ohio. and they will not sup
port n man who even opposed the Mckin-
ley policies
Mr. Mason Is too independent of party
discipline. Again. In many cases he has OBJ
ared rGp good PLACES for ,Tenss who
anywhere on earth. The politicians charge
this to his big heart-and there is no. gain
! saying the fact that 1t is big. All in all.
who is desired by Illinois Republicans for
United States Senator. He was elected In
1897 by the tremendous force of popular
The party leaders, almost to man. em-
| bracing all factions in the State, were Bit
teriy opposed to Mason and his aspirations.
But he won merited victory. Now the
leaders appear to be quiescent. don't care.
and the Republican voters are against Sem
ator Mason. He cannot possibly win.
Now. as regards CuIlou1 and his possible
| convention, where Senator Cullom was en-
gagged in a life-and-death struggle with
John r: Tanner. The issue was doubtful.
convention from the start carried 1t was al
most a certainty that Cullom would be bad
ly beaten. Into the crisis at the most criti-
ddeniiai i'd t friend % Of naa President McKiney a He
consented to stand for temporary chairman
and the great; powerful name Of Mckinley
being behind him. be was successful