Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-06
MAY NAME SHAW
Some Talk of Secretary of Treasury
as Nominee for the Vice Presidency
= Claim Made That Roosevelt Fav-
c,rs Him.

Chicago. April 6.-Holland's New
York special to Record Herald: Per-
ha]os the report which has been rather
freely circulated for week or so and
which found its way into the news
papers this morning, associating the
maine OF Secretary Shaw with the vice
presidential nomination on the ticket
with Roosevelt. Is really an echo OF
the gossip that was heard earlier In
the year. Then 1t was not infrequent
to hear men OF finance. who should
know, limiting al a possible retirement
of Secretary Shaw from the treasury
department some time this spring.
Not any criticism or implied reproach
even lurked In this report. for it al
ways was qualified by the assertion
thai there was reason to think that
Secretary Shaw would look upon his
career as secretary of the treasury as
having had full measure of meritorious
work as soon as payment for the Pan
ma canal purchase should have been so
financed as not to disturb the local
money market.
There never was any way of con-
firning this gossip. nor, in fact, was
any serious heed paid to 1t. But ii was
in circulation, and it has seemed to be
the impression here that the secre-
tarY, for reasons that appealed to him
personally and that We're apart from
any administration association, was
disposed to retire from his department
in the spring.
Now there comes a report from
yya, hi y no ~ TO- tof
bring forward Secretary Shaw as one
specially favored for the vice presiden-
tial nomination, this contemplation
involving a careful investigation of the
reasons that would justify, or other
reasons, il there be any. that might
negative that purpose. OF the
reasons that may prove convincing in
favor of that action there are two that
are Of special Importance, and, in fact.
have. occurred to business men in this
city, who have been inclined to be-
lieve that the near friends of the
president would prefer that some other
thar. Senator Fairbanks be nominal
ed for vice president.
One of these reasons is the unusual
caps city Secretary Shaw has shown
himself to be possessed of that makes
it possible for him by intuition to abb
sorb public opinion, especially as his
party entertains it.
That is only another way of say
ing that Secretary Shaw has peculiar
gift of politics, almost the highest. In
that respect he differs from any of
his predecessors OF recent years in the
office OF secretary of the treasury,
and the record must be searched as far
back as John Sherman's day to find any
one who has held that office who pos
sesse,d this gift. In fact, those of this
city who have talked with Secretary
Shaw and who have at least obtained
as they think a fairly good understands
ing of the qualities which distinguish
him, are inclined to the opinion that
in this intuitive power of reading public
opinion. the strong, though often not
openly expressed thought of the ma
jorty, Secretary Shaw surpasses John
Sherman, even in the days Of Mr..
Shernan's great power
1t is safe to say that q secretary of
the treasury who was not a politician
in the higher sense would not have
undertaken the transactions which Sec
rotary Shaw conceived and perfected
iaSt year. II OF tIeSe TWO reasons ana
possibly as a lesser influence Governor
Sha,v's fine capacity for appealing per-
suasively to voters during campaign,
it is not improbable, some here be-
lieve, that opinion in the republican
party, skillfully led by those who are
near the president gradually concen-
trates in favor of the nomination of
SECRETARY Shaw for vice president.
So :.