The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-21

Hesitating About Entering the Race
with Roosevelt-Has Given the
Indiana Members of Congress TO
Understand That He Does Not
Want Their Delegates from Their
Districts Instructed for Him-Sen-
atOr Elkins Also Urged for Vice
Presidency-The Talk Among DEM
ocrats.
By r. NJ. Larner.
washington, March Ex-senator
Fairbanks has interjected considerable
uncertainty into presidential politics
by indicating lately that he does not
want delegates instructed for him for
the vice presidency and that he does
not want the nomination. His atti-
tude has beer a quandary to all his
washington friends. One day he feels
strongly inclined to come out and be
a candidate to go on the ticket with
Mr.. Roosevelt. That word goes forth.
The newspapers in Indiana spread the
story of the situation and forthwith
Mr. Fairbanks beholds the Indiana
politicians in scramble to secure ad-
vantage in a race to get his seat He
could hold his place in the Senate right
through the campaign and up to
March next, but his nomination for
vice president would be signal for
several Indianaians to begin a fight
to be elected to the Senate.
Is Hesitating.
NJ. - II
Fairbanks has begun to hesitate. He
Is as much averse as any man in
public life to taking a decisive stand
about any matter. Therefore just now
he has withdrawn from his former po-
sition. He has given the Indiana mem
bers of Congress to understand that
he does not want the convention dele
gates from their districts instructed
to vote for his nomination. Thus the
situation becomes one of unusual in
terest. The administration, while not
indicating any preference would be
highly satisfied If Mr.. Fairbanks were
nominated, but If he hesitates and hes
itates it is probable that some one
else will be chosen.
Ellins Urged.
Senator Elkins, of West Virginia,
who has been urged by prominent firms
and captains of industry all over the
country to run for the vice presidency,
was at the White House a few days
ago and told the President that he
(Elkins) believed the President must
sooner or later indicate his choice
for running mate. Mr.. Elkins ar
gued that the good of the party de-
manded it. Events might come about
that so that candidate from Indiana
would not be so desired as a candi-
date from Illinois or elsewhere. The
President listened attentively, but
made no answer to Mr.. Elkins' sug-
gestion.
That furnished about the only fea-
ture of Republican politics up to date,
except the glory that rebounds to
President Roosevelt's administration
from the merger decision. The con-
gressional debates of the next two
months will largely determine what
the character of the Republican argu-
ment on the stump will be with refer
ence to that litigation. 1t has robbed
the Democrats of much of their thun-
der. AS Representative Powers, of
Massachusetts, put it here the other
day, the dissenting justices were three
Democrats and one justice who has
been a mugwump in politics.
Democrats Against Bryan
getting anchored. They are as much at
sea as ever about men and about is
sues. There is one noticeable thing,
however, and that is the common de-
nunciation of Mr.. Bryan. The press
dispatches about Bryan being hardly
able to control the Nebraska State
Committee was received gleefully even
by Democrats who have been account
ed as radicals in their party. They
want to see Bryan displaced. Proba
bly, the forging ahead of the Hearst
boom, which is attributed in consider
able part to the encouragement from
Mr.. Bryan, is to quite a degree respon-
sible for the hatred of the Nebraskan
New York, Indiana and the South
are looked upon here as the factors
that are going to govern in the Demo-
cratic equation. The Indiana Demo-
cratic leaders, including ex-Mayor Tom
Taggart, have been here in Washing
ton during the past week after visit
to New York city. 1t is significant
that they were' talking Parker very
strongly. The Southern leaders in Con-
gress are also talking Parker strong
ly than ever.
There is lot of guessing when Con-
gress is to adjourn. The most preva-
lent guess now is May 1, and that is
probably about the right guess. Many
of the district and state conventions
will be held in May. Everybody wants
to get back to attend those conven-
tions and that general desire will stin-
ulate the activity to close up work and
get away.