The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-03-07
Other Candidates for Republican
Gubernatorial Nomination
Are Guessing.
GETS MANY ENDORSEMENTS.
Already the "Knocker" Has Be
gun His Work of Trying to
Put Il Quietus on a Hard
Proposition.

Without a solitary avcwpd candidate for
the gubaraatorial nomination, Republican
politicians oyer the state are beginning
one Of their bitterest fights over an honor
which they think. urder certain coa,:a-
sencies. viii amount to something next
fall.
Preceding ali their ambitions with sn
If" they are LAYING the wires in every
count for Endorsements and instructions
that Will control the State coayeatioa-
Already the knockers" have appeared.
The increasing number Of Eube~na-o-.el
Endorsements which have been given &c
former Mayor Cyrus p. WaIbridge Of
St Louis in The comfy conventions 10
select delegates to the Kansas City con-
ventiOn has started a slogan which IS
being worked for all it IS worth. L Is
after ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS" recalling
ST Louis mayorIity history that is con-
sideicd sufficiently fresh 10 work its OWL
leaven cut IN the, State.
None Of the Other men me1tionei for
the s~ubernatoriaI honor is indulging in
this knock" Their friends have started
the bail rolling IN order TO head of what
promises TO swamp the next State norni-
mating convention. and put such good Pc
pubiicans as Representative John H.
Boutwell, of Sedalia, Assistant United
States District Attorney Bert ID. Nortoui
of New Cambria. State Senator john I.
Mckinley of Unionville u Judge Sell
den p. Spencer of ST. Louis out of the
running.
When Walbridge was indorsed by the
Republican state Committee for Vice
President. the friends of other men who
had been mentioned for Governor began
to shake hands with themselves for a
very clever trick. The first public pro-
test came when Election Commissioner
Louis T.. Aioe gave out al interview in
which he said he. for one. objected to
this way Of putting Mr.. WaIbridge on the
shelf. and that. for one, lie was for Wal
bridge for Governor.
Following that, Major John l.. Bittinger
of 81 Joseph created trouble by advo-
eating Waibridge for Governor at the an
nuai meeting of the Association of Young
republicans in Kansas City.
Since then Walbridge has. received in
G1FSeInentS from such counties as Cole,
Shelby. Jasper, Laclede and others that
Snow the diversified sentiment for him.
He has told his friends-4nd did at the
time that he was Endorsed for Vice Presi-
dent-that he did not want the g~uberuatC-
mai nomination, yet no man has seen any
statement from him saying that he would
not a the g~ubernatOr!a / nomination
we're Ii offered to him on a plate.
OTHER CANDIDATES.
But the Waloridge sentiment is not 50
strong that any of the other candidates
propose TO step aside for it. Boutwell,
and Pettis County are on such good terms
that the Endorsements from that section
o. the Stale bear the stamp of approval
from men who know him well. The
seventh District will be for him solidly.
The Sixth District is considered a Boutwell,
stronghold. He has good friends in the
Eighth.
BGtEwelrs record as a Representative
from Pettis County and Eis undisputed
leadership of the Republicans in the House
have made hun "A power throughout the
State. There is probably ~ Republican
who knows the history of legislation in
City better than he. There is no
Republican who has had the knack of get
ting both factions together in a red-hot
fight against Democrats, it IS said. His
business experience and his general fitness
for the Governors chair are thought by his
friends to make him one of the strongest
candidates in the field
On the other hand, Bert NOrtOnIS record
as a Federal officeholder has given him an
issue that Is considered an offset to the
doodle issue. HIS congressional district
has declared for him. The Fourteenth
District Committee has o the same.
buALNAG Nv AC AhAo cASJhNii uhiAaAS ~
vious campaigns have come to the front
with Endorsements. either of his record or
for his gubernatorial aspirations.
About the only objection which has been
urged against Nortoni is the fact that he
Is the youngest of those mentioned. Some
of the best friends be has insist that he
would as well a liz the Attorney General
ship, which he could have for the asking
He has let it be understood that the minor
office does not appeal to hin, and that
the g~overnorship looks very good to him.
AG he 10 Regarded as a hustler nDDfl1dr
with the younger element and a speech
maker of no mean ability, his opponents
know that when he says that he would
rather be Governor than Attorney Gener-
al there is a warm fight ahead
Senator Mckinley has been making a
quieter fight than his opponents; He lives
in Putnam County. where Republican ma
~iorities are the sure thing He has made
q record in the State Senate that cannot
be attacked for affiliations with amy sort
of q Doodle clique. his friends claim OF
cut little figure. though he became known
as one Of the able members of the Judicial
Committee.
Judge selden P. Spencer has been "a
ewing plenty of newspaper boosts since
the Kansas city banquet. His brief and
pointed speech there made him friends.
he has other friends who are working
ouietIy In his interests, more with the idea
that II the convention gets tied up on 9th
e- candidates he will he the solution. His
unfamiliarfty with State politics is a
handicap. though he has always been
fairly willing to make speeches Cor the
Meanwhile, the waIbridge boom is the
caper. Other candidates are trimming
their sails to meet the new breeze. Ap-
parentIy il has not occurred to them to
get busy with the vice n~residenoa- propo-
and thus draw him OF his present
advantageous position. The idea that the
vice presidential Endorsement would he
un earnestly by the State organiza-
ton had never occurred to them.