Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-22
HAMMOND'S HATIN
RING BY GRACE OF HIS
WESTERN ADMIRERS
Minnesota's Dem o ocratic
Govemor-elect Doomed
for President by Republi-
can Congressman of That
State.
LrnoM 4 Erarr oonnEsroNpENr.l ]

trRoM A sTAFF CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, Dec 22.-will Winfield
Scott Hammond. Of Minnesota, ever be
President of the United states7 Nobody
can tell; stranger things have happened
Minnesota lacks less than half n million
of having as large a population as New
jersey. and only about $4,000 fewer voters
than New Jersey. Minnesota is $50 miles
wide. 400 miles Ions and covers an area
of 1886 square miles; New Jersey is only
20 miles wide, 100 miles long and covers an
area OF only 1915 square miles. Besides.
Minnesota belongs to the great North
west and Mr.. Bryan used to think that
westward the star Of political promise
was in the ascendant That is what the
Minnesota people believe today; at least
that is what James Manahan, Republican;
George r. Smith, Republican, and Clar-
ence Benjamin Miller. Republican, three
representative men of that State, mcm-
bers of the present Congress, think and
said at the coming-out party OF Winfield
Scott Hammond at the University Club
here last Saturday night.
Mr.. Hammond, who has been member
OF Congress from Minnesota for eight
years, was elected Governor of that State
at the election last month He is
Democrat The rest of the Democratic
ticket was defeated by something like
5000 votes he was elected by 1900 ma
jority. II John A. johnson had lived he
would have been the Democratic candi-
date for President at the last election;
Mr.. Hammond's Republican friends at the
symposium Saturday night believe he is a
worthy successor OF Johnson, that he is
built or sound presidential timber and
that he could carry his State.
The meeting was designed to bring out
IL possible a reasonable explanation of
how It happened that Mr.. Hammond was
elected Governor when all OF his ticket
was defeated by 5000 majority. The
manager of the affair, Claude Bennett
cleverly arranged 1t so that the explana-
tlon should be made by Republican mem
bers of Congress from that State. Boiled
down. they all agreed that he was elected
because he was the best man for the
place, and one OF their number declared
that Minnesota can no longer be regarded
as committed to any political party, and
that the voters OF that State will cast
their ballots for the best man whatever
fitness being I'm their opinion the true
tests of what the people want in the pub
lie service.
Mr.. Hammond was born In Massachu-
sets, educated at Dartmouth and, like
Martin G. Brumbaugh, Of Pennsylvania,
has devoted years of the best service to
the cause of education In his State. AL
though n practising attorney for many
years he has been associated with every
movement looking to the Improvement OF
the education facilities of his State.
Mr.. Hammond has Just passed his 5lst
birthday. His term OF office will expire
in January, 1917. which would give him
a month and a half to organize his Cabi-
net and write his inaugural address if he
should be elected President in 1916.
There apparently is no doubt now
that his hat has been thrown into the
ring by his appreciative political oppo-
nents on the ground that it is the man
himself and not the party label he wears
that should count. Hammond will make
many of the leaders" sit up and think.
Mr.. Hammond did not say Saturday
night that he would not think OF such
a thing" and. at least, he may be re-
garded as among the possibilities. If the
race should finally be between Hammond
and Borah It is safe TO speculate that
the West would cast the largest vote ever
polled in that part of the country.
l. O. H