The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-01
Ssoosevelt Wants Former Gov
ernor of Massachusetts, to Sue
coed Hanna.
Talk Of Dick and Scott for Place
Lacks Official Recog-
milton.
Head of National Republican
Committee to Be Presi-
dents Choice.
From The journal Bureau, Colorado Building,

From The journal Bureau, Colorado Building.
Washington.
Washington, March 1.--Notwith-
standing q good deal Of conflicting
gossip. it is still q good guess that
former Governor Crane Of Massachu-
sets will be the chairman Of the re-
publican national committee this year.
The guess In the end may not be iusti-
fed, but right now it Is the best one
that can be made.
,nhe chairman Of the committee will
be selected by the president, on the
as 'mption that he will be the party
no 'nt >, and his choice will be
promptly ratified by the committee at
its first sitting after the convention
adjourns.
The president has a very strong
HIKING for Mr.. Crane. A number OF
onths ago he tried to get him into
.. cabinet as secretary of the treas
Ky, to succeed Secretary Gage. But
ane felt compelled to decline, for
he dness reasons, land the place was
-. :red to Secretary Shaw, the present
ho umbent.
an .rane's reasons for refusing had to
frr with certain contracts which one
Sk, his paper mills has for supplying
an government with a certain patent
the ess high-grade paper. with silk
i, lads running thru it, the paper on
which all government notes are
printed.
Had Crane entered the cabinet, he
would have been compelled to relin-
qulsh that contract, which is very val
liable, and besides, the government
would have been embarrassed for pa
per Of similar character cannot be
secured anywhere else in the country.
Conferred with Crane.
When it was known officially that 1t
was not the intention of Senator Han
ma to act as chairman of the republi-
can committee this year, the president
again conferred with Mr.. Crane. This
was about six weeks ago.
Again he hesitated, but this time,
of course, the business reason which
had kept him out of the cabinet did
not stand In the way. He pleaded in
experience and a lack of knowledge
regarding political conditions west of
the Alleghanies, and with becoming
modesty thought that a better man
for the place might be selected.
His declinatiOn, however, was not
quite final; indeed, the tender was not
made in any formal manner. The
president talked the situation over
With him informally with q view to
being more explicit at a later date.
should Cranes attitude justify it.
Z N ANCNiiiilS iut SIASl was uOlle ulllll dl
S.5ter the death Of Senator Hanna and
the complete collapse of the anti
Roosevelt opposition in New York
city. Then the president again took
up with Mr.. Crane the question Of the
chairmanship informally, and it is un.
derstood that Crane has taken the
tentative proposal under advisement
and is to make up his mind within {
4 reasonable time. Meanwhile, thu
president expects that he will b.
either the chairman Of the nationa
committee or Of the executive com
mlttee Of the national committee.
What Mr.. Crane has said about hi
1nexperience and lack Of knowledge
OF the country as whole, is true, ant
\ had he accepted the chairmanshi1
a Yhen 1t was first offered, some week
go, many of the old party leader
could have been worried; for the CD
'sttlon to Roosevelt within the part,
!" lad not then been quoted, and, be
sides, 1t looked as if the democrat
would be able to get together for al
aggressive fight.
Man for the Place.
But now that the Roosevelt onno
slt1on has disappeared, and the dem
n ocrats have lost so much groun
thru their laundering and inability t
get together, Crane will do as we
as anybody else for republican ma
tlonal chairman. The republican cam
pa1sn VIII run itself: Roosevelt wi
be elected by tremendous majorit,
perhaps larger than that given Mo
klnley In 1900, and with him will h
returned an increased republican ms
Jor1ty in the house of Representative
On this latter point T may say inc
dehtally that the republicans are Sc
rlously counting on gaining three dt.
trlcts In New England, two in Ne
York. one In New Jersey, one in Obi
one In Indiana, and two in Illinois, I
say nothing Of their expectation
\ hold their own in all parts of the mid
die and far west.
So, If Mr.. Crane is made chairma
of the republican national Commits
Is the party leaders will not find serio,
f fault.
In this connection it is timely to r,
Ter TO situation which ought to a
ford intense qualification to good me
N IN all parties. Roosevelt will ele
himself this year, and the republica
party will have use for a very sma
campaign fund.
@ Eastern Money Interests.
The campaign which elected M,
Kinley in 1896 is under Indictment :
having debauched many people in a
Z sections of the country. That can
paign was financed by the easter
X money interests, which were fearf,
of a debased currency should Brya
I Win They contributed funds to tt
X republican committee in larg,
! amounts than ever had been contrib
uted in the history OF the country Fl
Y a similar purpose.
They withheld them from the dem,
~ cratic committee. While Chair1na
Hanna had all the money he cou
use. and more at times than he ougl
to have used, Chairman Jones ha
+ none, except what little he could co
\ ]ect in out of the way places from /,
dividual contributors Of modera
r. means.t
1t Is said by those who ought
know, that about one-third of til
ii democratic campaign fund in IS!
4 II was collected in one dollar and fit.
cent contributions from men who
average weekly wage was not mo-
4 II than $40. z
The 1886 situation was repeated, 4
a somewhat smaller scale, in 100
7 Again. the republican committee W.
financed by Wall street, while IL
A democratic committee lived from har