Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-01
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
It's Heady. Workers Are in
I Chicago.
DRIFT TOW ARD HIM
has BEEN CAREFULLY WORKED
UP BY FRIENDS.
Sometimes Embarrassed by Ex-Presi-
dents Coyness-Wall of Wisconsin
Takes Himself Seriously.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

CHICAGO, June Co. 1904
Some weeks ago had occasion to write
about the understanding in the west that
Mr.. Cleveland was a receptive candidate
There was more than receptfveness. For
SIX months Chicago has been the headquar-
tiers of the Cleveland movement Now
whenever run across democratic friend
who calls my attention to 1.-The drift toward
Cleveland the Spontaneous sentiment"
which Is developing for the ex-President
try to keep a straight face.
The drift and the sentiment exist. In
other words, the yeast is working. More
over it is working just planned and
without too much fermentation. Whether
deadlock can be secured at st. Louis
which will give chance to bring forward
Mr.. Cleveland don't profess to know. His
western supporters feel pretty secure.
They are sure that if the opportunity
which they have been chasing really comes
the nomination will be had without trou-
BILE. If the flabby Parker boom is stiffened
they still will be in the position of not
tive campaign Whey will sti1e their dis
appointment and point to the attitude or
Mr.. Cleveland as the only reason why he
was not nominated.
On Pivotal States.
The movement for six months past has
rested on a number Of so-called pivotal
states west of the Alleghenies. The pivot
turns so that sometimes everything seems
to rest on Illinois. Then 1t is Indiana. Or
Michigan, or Wisconsin. The negativeness
of the Parker candidacy in these states has
fitted exactly to the scheme Of the Cleve-
land campaigners. If the New York juriSt
does get enough positive support in the
south and the east the attraction of CRAWL
tation may draw the western states to him.
But any political observer must note how
weak he is in the west.
Yet while the Cleveland mystery has
worked out satisfactorily so far, there are
flies in the incense. The Wisconsin repre-
sentative Of the Cleveland sentiment is ex-
Secretary and ex-senator William F. Villas.
Through his identification with the Cleve-
land administrations and his personal 10y
atty as we'll as his ability as a political
leader, Mr.. Villas should have been in con-
troll Of the Wisconsin delegation. But he
is not. The situation there is vinegar to
him.
In order to head off Hearst and knead
the Cleveland dough of the Wisconsin dele
cation it was thought necessary to bring
out favorite son. This was E. c. Wall,
for many years the national committee
man. When the delegates were elected
there was mild panic over the supposed
spread of Hearst sentiment. It was a
pocket book sentiment and was not very
deep. Mr. Villas, who does not fight in poll
tics with soft gloves was in favor of going
In and making an open test of the Hearst
and anti-Hearst strength. He was not
afraid that a possible lead of 100 delegates
to the state convention which Hearst claim
ed would not be overcome in an out and
out fight. But his opinion was not accept
ed, and the fayorite son was brought out
and Endorsed as an ostensible means Of
burying Hearst. e-a.-
Favorite Son Wall.
The next that was heard Of Favorite Son
wall he ia
ously. He was writing to his friends about
the prospects of his nomina ton and even
seeking support in the east on the ground
that he represented sane democracy Those
who knew Committeeman Wall at first
thought he was joking, but they were soon
made to feel the truth. Mr. Wall looked
upon himself as ell-seasoned piece of
presidential timber.
Then came the savage split of the Wis
consin republicans, the action Of the Chi
cago convention In recognizing the Spooner
wing and the deliberate intention of the
La Toilette faction to make no concessions
and accept no arrangement that did not
recognize their faction as the republican
party of Wisconsin. Committeeman Wall
has some republican associations. He
knows the state pretty well and knows that
in the existing circumstances 1t really Is
doubtful and the democrats have a right
to consider it as fighting ground. He is
willing to take the ST. Louis convention into
his confidence and let that assembage know
that with Wall as the democratic candidate
for President Wisconsin will cast her cleo
toral vote for the democratic candidate. So
he sends carload of Autographs to the
worlds fair city, remains quietly at home
with telephone at his ear awaiting the
summons and in other ways maintains
proper dignity
Now nobody knows just how long Wall
will persist in believing he is candidate
or just how he will tie up the delegation.
Many of the delegates are for Cleveland,
yet Wall has some friends who. in view Of
the state Instructions, will insist that he
is the man to be consulted in final voting.
Embarrassed by Cleveland.
With regard to Mr.. Cleveland, the Illinois
crowd which is back Of him processes
some doubts lest he really will consent, al
ways provided that the psychological mo-
ment Is reached. It's members admit that
they have had some trouble and even have
been embarrassed by Mr.. Cleveland's coy
ness. They will look you In the face, and,
while talking about the unmis s,s
will tell you confidentialy that they havn't
had an encouraging word from the oracle
of the condltionsof his health
MIR. Cleveland really felt like becoming
candidate but decided against 1t because
of the condition OF his health.
Incidents urged in confirmation OF this
view are that when the newspaper influence
back of Judge Parker was seeking inter-
views with prominent democrats some OF
them refrained from granting the request
until after they had communicated with
their idol / was given the name OF one
very prominent man who was nominated by
Cleveland for a high office and rejected
by the Senate He frankly told the news
paper that he was for Cleveland. but that
IL he could be satisfied Mr.. Cleveland would
not accept the nomination he would furnish
the requested interview In favor OF Parker.
After time enough had elapsed for him to
communicate with the ex-President along
came the Parker interview. This might az
ford the presumption that Mr.. Cleveland
had convinced his friends of his own deter
mination not to be a candidate. but lawyers
who distrust circumstantial evidence in the
courts would be even less likely to accept 1t
in the forum Of politics.
Cleveland's Bid for Support.
That Chicago always Is in Mr.. Cleve-
lands eye with reference to his own pub
lie career past and possibly future, is ap-
parent from his literary aad newspaper
The copy may be stale and
duplicate articles may be worked of on
the eager publishers, but that does not
AFFECT his candidacy. Nine out Of ten men
in Chicago who read Mr.. Clevelands ar
tfcles about what his administration did