The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-06-07

a candidate, said John Hayes Ham
mond. styled by some the dark
horse vice presidential aspirant
Like all candidates, | am in the
hands of my friends Ii 1t is deemed
best | should join the ticket with Mr..
Taft-for you must remember that
Mr.. Taft will be nominated. no doubt,
on the first ballot am ready to
take up my part of the fight.
Mr.. Hammond was found in his
private office. No. II Broadway. and
he told why and how his candidacy
for vice presidential honors was born.
He is reputed to be the highest
salaried official in the world. but Mr..
Hammond claims to be the candidate
of the workingmen. 1t is. in fact, to
them originally that he ascribes his
candidacy.
II am just a bit proud of one
thing he said. and that is the
suggestion that | should he candi-
date came first from the laboring
men, not from the men of wealth.
The men who are the back bone of
this country in producing way are
the ones that are most anxious to
have me as candidate That is
worth much to me: that is the one
thing | feel better about than all the
others
John Hayes Hammond is man of
slight form, quiet and retiring He
has a certain Belf5reliant manner,
and a great reserve force of energy
and determination, which is, perhaps,
his dominant characteristic. Meet
ing him for the first time. one would
not be surprised to learn afterwards
that he bore a hand with the late
Cecil Rhodes in empire building in
Africa He was one of the coterie
of Rhodes friends who participated
in the Jameson raid into Transvaal,
which was the forerunner of the
Boer war For critical period after
the failure of the raid, Hammond
was under sentence of death in the
Rand for his part in the enthusiasm.
kilograms from the west and the
New England states poured in upon
Mr. Hammond today. and his clerks
were kept busy answering telephone
calls.
How did you happen to become a
Candidate he was asked
1T just grew and came upon me
before knew it," he answered.
Then he swung around in his chair.
lighted a fresh cigar and squared his
shoulders.
You see. said he. there is hardly
a state west of the Mississippi that |
have not entered on business at one
time or another Today | own prop
erty in a majority of them. My con-
neetion with labor. as an employer
and director has brought me into
close touch with labor conditions,
and always in friendly way.
But what will the laboring man
say To the man who draws 81 ,000.-
600 a year salary" he was asked.
If that were true it might be
against me. Again. it might be in
my favor" came the quick reply
My salary is good and il is earned
from the people who employ
me. That story should be corrected
Any thinking man certainly knows
people are not paying fancy salaries
unless they think the. man drawing
the money earns it,.
How did you happen To enter the
political field. Mr.. Hammond
Gloucester, Mass, has been my
home for the past seven years" he
answered. "A good many New
England people are among my
friends. The Republican situation.
il is said. calls for a man upon the
national ticket who is known in New
England and who is knows the west.
For long time it has been suggested
to me that | should enter the poll
teal field. This idea did not make
serious impression until my western
friends began 10 echo the thought
Then some of the working people
who know me came to me. and
Welded.
Mr. Hammond did not seem to
worry over the fact that he was in
the midst of the politicians. He
denied that he was a politician.
Il am nothing but a business
man." he insists.
You know Mr. Taft"
"Oh yes; Mr. Taft and | We're in
Yale together. And ! have known
him for so years.
And he is the logical eandidate7'