Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-11-01

4lc.s lnley,S campaign, met me IN Chl-
cage, and told me some of the didicul-
ties he was experiencing, In securing
q running mate for Mckinley. 7 wish
he said to mo, that you would accept
this nomination He told me they
wanted man who could go on the
stump and hold some such position in
the republican party as Bryan oc-
cupfed in the democratic organization.
II told Mr.. Hanna that I expected
and hoped to be elected United States
senator from Iowa. that I regarded the
vice presidency as shelving place,
and that was not candidate for
political sarcophagus Then he asked
me IL I would permit the use of my
name. promising that at the. proper
time 1t would be withdrawn. He told
me there were several undesirable
candidates in the field, among them
Timothy Woodruff of New York and
others. Woodruff he explained. lis
impossible because he has a hundred
and fifty fancy vests. Still another
man was ruled out on the ground that
he is back on his alimony' He ex-
planned that. the use OF my name
would keep down this list Of undesir-
able candidates. and agreed with him
that the mention of my name in con-
nection with so distinguished an Of
fee could do me no harm and might
" OF value to me.
"When ] went down to Philadelphia
shortly before the convention l dis
covered that my candidacy had as
sumed serious proportions. My col
leagues In the house had taken hold
Of the matter, and my nomination was
assured unless Mr.. Hanna kept his
promise. | went to him and told him
that It was time for him to redeem his
pledge.
"His reply was: "Dolliver, we are
,lp against IT.. There is no man in the
field who will make suitable candi-
date said to him, Why not name
Roosevelt? He told me he under
stood there was movement on among
the Plat republicans Of New York to-
nominate Roosevelt in order to shelve
him and get him out Of New York, but.
he said he understood that Mr.. Roose-
welt would not accept the nomination.
He did not express any objection to
Roosevelt as the vice presidential
nominee.
After some conversation he, author
lied me to call on Mr.. Roosevelt, put
the situation up to him, and to assure
him he could have the vice presidential
nomination If he wanted it.
81 called on Mr.. Roosevelt at hts
hotel I found him in his room, with
his coat and vest off, his collar off, and
with his face flushed. He seemed to
be greatly excited
when / told him the situation he
demurred on the ground that he I'M
derstood that neither Mckinley nor
Hanna wanted him. assured him that
he was mistaken. Then he said to me,
biting his words as he uttere4 them,
1T seems singular that. the men who
can make me governor Of New York
want me to be vice president, and
those who can make me vice president,
want me to be governor Of New York.
AFTER an extensive conversation, L
told him X he wanted to be vice presi-t
dent the thing for him to do, and all
that was necessary for himato do, was
to 60 and see Mark Hanna, and he
finally consented to do SO. s We went
to Hanna's room together. Mr.. Hanna
had cancerous growth on his knee.
Tie Was SlltltlS viii q Uduud6cu lOOI-
and leg extended on an adjoining
chair. He and Mr.. Roosevelt greeted
each other, and after some prelimi.
nary conversation, Mr.. Hanna said:
Mr.. Roosevelt, II you want this nomi-'
nation all you have to do is to say So
and Mr. Roosevelt finally said that he
would not refuse the nomination If it
were given him.
I'VE left Mr.. Hanna's room, and, in
order to forestall the possibility Of Mr..
Roosevelt's changing his mind, I
stopped in at the Associated Press Of
flee and gave out the information that
Mr.. Roosevelt had consented to accept
the nomination..
"And that" concluded Senator Dol
liver, 'is how near came to being
president OF the United States" z
Mr.. Dolliver laughed when he told
the story, but there was in his voice
note of regret over the fact that he
had not accepted that momentous
nomination.
i THE EVENING STORY. |