Evening star., 1902-08-07
AN ACTIVE CANVASS
FRIENDS URGING FAVoRITES
FOR THE CoMMIssIoNERsHIP.
W. v. Cox Receives Endorsement Of
Leading officials Of Nashville
Exposition-The Local Field.

At no time since the appointment OK
successor to Commissioner Ross was first
discussed has the local interest in the mat
ter seemed so intense as this morning. The
candidates announced were debated all over
the District building, by half the business
men along F street, on all the corners
about the city hall and in many offices.
Each candidate might have found many
ardent supporters in any Of the localities
indicated. But the result of it all is still
a matter of the baldest conjecture.
Word was received from Nashville today
that the following dispatch had been sent
from there to President Roosevelt: 1--WE
would be pleased to have you appoint as
District Commissioner, Washington D. c.,
w. V. Cox, who rendered most efficient
services as secretary of government ex-
hbit Tennessee centennial exposition The
dispatch was signed by Benton McMillin,
governor of Tennessee; John W. Morton,
secretary of state; Rean E. Folk treas
urer; Theodore F. King, controller; Nor
gan c. Fitzpatrick superintendent of pub
lie instruction, and other state and ex-
position officials who came in contact with
Mr.. Cox while he was with the government
board at the centennial Of 1897.
A strange upgrowtn of the last two
days has been the earnest advocacy given
the candidacy of three candidates bearing
the same surname-Brigadier General John
NJ. Wilson, formerly chief of engineers;
Albert A. Wilson, formerly United States
marshal for this District, and Jesse Will
son, president of the Lincoln National
Bank The last named looms up as
possibility for the first time, but his sup
port is none the less confident that
account.
Merits of Each Presented.
For Brig. Gen. Wilson it Is said that
even when in the active service he has
been a prominent District man; that his
interest has benefited the District Of Co
lumbia in many ways and is now intense;
that he is personal friend of exPresi-
dent Cleveland, and that his support,
though not ostentatious, is influential and
likely to prove productive.
The former District marshal is well
known that his supporters do not think it
necessary to urge his interest in and knowl-
edge Of District affairs. His strength in
the present contest Is based also on Mr..
Cleveland's support, whose intimate friend
Mr.. Wilson is said to be and whose sup
port the latter can command-according to
report-to an almost unlimited degree.
Mr.. Jesse Wilson is suggested as one dem
ocrat who possesses all the desirable quail
fcations and who could be heartily indorsed
by both wings Of the District democracy.
During the Norris-H olmead factional con-
fict of two years ago Mr.. Jesse Wilson was
named as a compromise candidate for ap-
pointment to the democratic national COM
mittee. According to the newspaper reports
of that time he would have been entirely
acceptable to both wings of the party. His
position as a man of business, gentleman
Of culture and foremost District tax
payer all contribute, say his friends, to
make him a most desirable appointee.
Others in the List.
But the champions of the non-Wilson can
didates. so to speak, are not asleep Men
ton of Messrs. w. V. Cox, Henry L. West,
Maj. T. B. Ferguson, Col. Robert 1. Flem-
ing, Louis P. Shoemaker and James L.
Norris marked every argument over the
appointment.
One business man, a bank president.
talked with the utmost confidence of Col.
Fleming's candidacy.
He can certainly have the post If he will
take it, said the bank president. He can
have the best Endorsements in the District.
/ understand Mr.. C. c. Glover Is on his
side. Ex-Vice President Levi P. Morton is
to make special trip to Oyster Bay in his
behalf Why, half the men 1 know who
have indorsed other men would be glad
enough to unite on Col. Fleming If oppor-
tunity offered The only question in my
mind is whether Col. Fleming would take
the appointment"
friend of Mr. West then said: But
think the President must appoint Harry
West. He has the Endorsement Of several
of the republican leaders, Senators Allison,
Lodge, Spooner and others; he has been in
dorsed by all the democrats on both Dis
trict committees, and is a product OF Dis
trict institutions. He and Mr.. Roosevelt
are friends they both young men. and
they have the same strenuosity of charac-
ter"
A hurried canvass Of F street brought out
the most ardent championship Of Mr.. Cox.
What most of those merchants seem to
feel was expressed by Mr.. w. H. Veerhoff.
Il want to see Mr.. Cox appointed" he said.
so do most Of my neighbors here on F
street. We know him, as a business man,
as the president of a bank and as citizen
and We know exactly where to find him
whenever Washington business interests
are involved 1t may be political influence
of the sort brought to bear when marshal
is appointed will determine Mr.. Ross sue
cessor. But if the wishes of the Districts
business community are to be followed Mr..
Cox will surely be appointed.''
Friends of W. Mex. Clayton were ac-
lively at work yesterday in securing in
dorsements for their candidate in George
town. where Mr.. Clayton, while a student
friends. At Tenleytown, it is claimed,
Mr.. Clayton's friends divided the field with
the supporters of Mr.. James L. Norris.
One objection persistently urged against
the candidacy of Mr.. Clayton is on the
score of his age, he having barely touched
thirty. This is thought by many to dis
qualify him for the race. His friends in
sist though that this is an age Of young
isfactory his youth should not be consid-
cred as bar.
Suggested Possibility.
The possibility of a fight in the Senate
when the nomination Is received there for
confirmation also excited much speculation.
Well-known Bryan men profess to believe
that Mr.. Cox, Mr. Norris General Wilson,
ex-Marshal Wilson and any other candi-
dates known as stanch Cleveland men
could never be confirmed. The answer
made by the supporters of those
men Is that any such appoint
ment sent to a republican Senate by re-
publican President is reasonably likely to
be approved. But the Holmead-Bride
Slater wing is confident no one but a
straightout Chicago platform man can be
confirmed, and if their judgment Of the
situation Is correct the contest over the
cOmmissionership may last much longer