The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-11

along on, parlor car or in deadly dull
conVentionality selects those points
that have been approved by the test
or time, sticks close to lines laid down
by custom, clothes them all in pudgy
English and speaks.
Fairbanks was nominated because
there was nobody else. The Presi-
dent has no patience with his methods.
ms chaftiness his eVaSiVeness, his eau
ton. He thinks well enough of the
indiana man, but he does not admire
him, and he has no confidence that he
VIII add any strength to the ticket.
That makes no matter, for the Presi-
dent also thinks that he needs no as
sistance.
"IhAt WOOlly Horse From Indiana
The expressions of the President
concerning Fairbanks have recently
been repeated here. An inspired phono-
| graph from one of the Presidents
executive sessions" came and said the
President called Fairbanks that wool
ly horse from Indiana" Nobdy knows
exactly what the President meant by
that unless he meant to infer that
Fairbanks is the same kind of a hum
bug that the woolly horse was.
Inc other expression was more
definite. Some of the stand patters
got out buttons on which the word
Stick was printed and nothing else
| A man wearing one OF these buttons
saw the President a few days ago
An, said the President. Il see
you have on your Fairbanks button"
Fairbanks button?" exclaimed the
surprised visitor. why this button
doesn't say Fairbanks. 1t says
Stick p"
We'll" said the President, iably,
that's what he is, isn't it?''
Physically, Fairbanks is what the
Scotch-lrish Call raw boned." He is
more than six feet tall. two inches
more perhaps, and he looks thin
which appearance is heightened by his
manner of dress. He invaria bly, wears
what the Eastern tailors call a frock
coat and what the Indianaians call
a Prince Albert. 1t is long, coming
10 his knees. and never was seen un-
buttoned. His attire is studiously
statesmanlike. His necktie is always
plack and always string tie. His
trousers are dark colored and his shoes
of patent leather. Once during the
warm weather at the Chicago Conven-
ton he put on d little round straw hat.
his head is small and the hat looked
ike pancake on the top of pole
he wore it only once; it was not digni-
ned, he discovered. His shoulders are
oroad ana straight. His arms are I'M
usually long and his hands are large
and his fingers sinewy. He has great
physical strength, nurtured on the
farm, when he was a boy in Ohio and
where he was obliged to work hard.
Fairbanks knows his book. He knows
that the man who stays in the middle
is the man who wins. Brilliancy is to
be admired, but conservatism is the
guiding star of the politician who
wants TO remain long time in office.
Note the case of William B. Allison of
Iowa. When he finishes his nreean+
term in the Senate he will have served
thlrty-siX years, much longer than any
other man since the Senate was Or
ganized. Why? Because no person
has been able to trap him into a direct
statement. There are always two sides
and the place of wisdom is to mix in
with a little of both. So with Fair
banks. Try to pin him down on any
thing, unless it is a party dictum that
has been long approved and see where
you come out. His mind is not built
to express opinions. 1t is a machine
that assimilates and with unerring
precision produces only the safe and
the conventional. He wants to be
President. Had Mckinley lived he
would have nominated Theodore Roose-
welt. Indeed, as soon as Mckinley was
nominated the second time Fairbanks
began operations through Joseph Keel
ing of Indianapolis, his closest Iieuten-
ant Albert Wishard, an Indianapolis
lawyer and expert politician, was made
solicitor Of the internal revenue COM
mission to look after the Washington
end of the canvass. Plans We're max
ing to put out men in other states
where delegates could be secured. Then
Mckinley was shot and everything was
thrown into confusion. 1t was appar
ent from the time Roosevelt took the