The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1903-11-09
Secretary of State Rose Declines
to Commit Himself.
Reported He Will Run for Governor
Of Illinois-Was in Paducah
This Morning.
DENIES REPORT TO RELATIVES

Secretary Of State James A. Rose,
OF Springfield, ILL.,, left Paducah this
morning, accompanied by his wife. for
Springfield, after a visit to Metropolis
on business connected with the pur.
chase Of the old Fort Msssac site near
there, and spending Sunday with his
daughter here, Mr. James p. Smith,
at Fifth and Washington streets. Mr..
Rose will be more important man
when he returns to Illinois, because
since he left q week ago q boom has
been started for him for governor.
Mr.. Rose is one of the best known
men of Golconda, Pope county, and
for seven years he has been secretary
of state at Springfield. Yesterday
Springfield dispatches state: ~
ut is asserted that before leaving
town he told Attorney General Ham.
lin that he had decided to enter the
contest and that the announcement of
his candidacy would probably be made
at Golconda before his return to
Springfield.
Intimate friends of the secretary
of state, who ought to be in position
TO speak authoritatively, discredit this
story, saying that his announcement,
if made at all, will come at later
date. However, that may be, 1t is now
regarded by politicians as reasonably
certain that sooner or later Mr.. Rose
will figure a. candidate in the con-
test for the gubernatorial nomination.
which admittedly, up to date, is q
free for all" Contradictory rumors
about him have been in circulation for
several weeks-one connecting him
with the governorship, another with
denomination for his present Office,
and another declaring him probable
candidate for congress; but to all Of
these stories Mr.. Rose has made abso-
lutely no reply, and many politicians,
up to a day or two ago, were settling
down to tina conviction that the secre-
tary's game was to play the Ozark
horse" depending on the probability,
as some view it, that the convention
will get into o deadlock and that the
nomination Of any of the avowed or
active candidates will prove impossi-
ble That, of course, was not bad
theory-and perhaps Is not now-oon-
sideripg the unusual conditions that
prevail in state politics at this time;
but the chances somewhat favor, SOON
or or later, public declaration of
his candidacy by MIR. Rose. When that
happens, other candidates will lose Q
number of counties which have here
tofore figured in their "sure" col
umns for the secretary of state has
been trained in the Egyptian" school
the race will be able to swing SO many
counties in the extreme south end of
the state as he can swing with COM
paratively little effort. Undoubtedly
he will prove large factor in the con-
test.
"In . sense. however, he may be
dark horse candidate, getting into
the fight just enough to control few
counties and awaiting a favorable OPP J
portunity to get in Oh compromise or
combination or by stampede of the
convention. The conditions this year
are SO invit'n" Co that kind of a can.
didacy that II is not surprising that
two other eminent Republicans lex
Governor Fifer and Congressman War
ner) have similar program.
Mr.. Rose, il il I'm Ierstood, stated !
TO his family very freely after reading |
the dispatches in yesterdays pspers,
that he was not a candidate for COVER
nor of Illinois and had not the slight.
est intention of becoming such His
son-inlAw, Mr.. James p Smith, so
informed reporter this morning. but
when the reporter found Mr.. Rose as
he started to the depot to take a
train for home, the distinguished gen.