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Spurious Presidential Candidates.
In every presidentirl election year Pennsylvania
Republicans tag their st te delegation to the national
convention and tuck tho aggregation snugly away
in the vest pocket of their boss, in order that he
may manipulate that body as a unit, without con
sulting its members individually, in his negotiations
with candidates for the nomination who stand a
chance to win. Promises of future patronage doubt
less have much weight in deciding to whom shall
go the Pennsylvania vote in the convention. But
in every case the prime object is the defeat, if pos
sible, of the candidate believed to stand nearest the
plain people, Pennsylvania being the borne of the
steel trust and the coal trust.
This solidifying arrangement is conveniently
managed through instructions to the delegates to
vote for their boss, who is, himself, always one of
their number, “so long as there is a possibility of
his being nominated." No such possibility ever
exists, of course, but this is unimportant.
The central figure in this quadrennial farce com
edy used to be the unspeakable Quay, who perhaps
held the record in the “favorite son" endorsement
class, with old man Shelby Cullom, of Illinois, and
Wm. B. Allison, of lowa, neck and neck for second
honors.
Quay having gone to his more or less doubtful
reward, is this year succeeded in “favorite son
ism’’ by Philander C. Knox, late counsel for the
United States Steel Corporation, later Attorney
General of the United States, through the influence
of the same corporation with President McKinley's
administration, and now, by the grace of the steel
trust, the coal trust and the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company, reinforced by the personal mandate of
Henry C. Frick, part owner of all these concerns,
Knox is a United States Senator from Pennsylvania.
In view of these ramifications hedged about
Knox, there is small wonder that his “candidacy"
is treated as the real article by the press of the
country, instead of with the derision it deserves.
Cummins, of lowa, has succeeded in spiking the
Allison-instruction howitzer; the “system" in Illi
nois failed to reform itself by taking Cullom from
the “favorite son" pedestal and supplanting him
with the cunning Joe Cannon, while Indiana turns
up this time with her contribution to the presiden
tial impossibilities in the person of Fairbanks.
Taken singly, none of these “sons" is apt to cut
any figure in the competition for the presidential
nomination. But all have a common object in view
and will be found aligned and combined in the con
vention to defeat the candidate most objectionable
to the interests represented by these bogus aspirants.
Mr. Travis’ Position In Campaign.
A card appears in another column from Robert J.
Travis, Esq., calling attention to his candidacy for
the nomination to the office of Solicitor-General by
the Democratic primary on June 4, next.
Mr. Travis’ personal fitness and professional
qualifications for the office are unquestioned, and his
friends feel entirely confident of victory in the ap
proaching primary.
Mr. Travis is a graduate of Emory College and
of the Law School at the University of Georgia,
THE REASON
where he also took the post-graduate course in Polit
ical Economy. At Emory he took first honors and
captured every scholarship medal offered in any de
partment. At the University he graduated first in
his class.
Since his admission so the bar, Mr. Travis has
been a very busy man. His practice has extended to
practically every branch of the profession, and the
experience thereby gained eminently equips him to
fulfill the duties of the office to which he aspires.
In regard to Mr. Travis' views bearing upon
questions now engrossing public attention, it may be
unreservedly stated that they contain nothing to, in
any way, restrict him in the wise and conscientious
performance of the duties of Solicitor-General, lie is
determined, if elected, to give his personal attention
to each and every case coming into his office and
will decline to permit any private practice, in which
he may engage, to interfere with this conception of
his duty to the people. Mr. Travis will not, it is fur
ther asserted, farm out to other attornevs anv cases
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coming before him as Solicitor-General, in the event
of his success in the primary. He is also known to
be irrevocably opposed to tin* acceptance by a Solic
itor-General of what is sometimes called “political
practice," that is. cases which would involve his ap
pearance, for a money consideration, before Council
in behalf of contractors and others desiring that ap
propriations shall be put through that body. Mr.
Travis is not said to charge that such practice has
been in vogue. He simply lets it be known that it
shall not obtain if he is given the administration of
t he office.
Persons conversant with his views declare that
Mr. Travis has always been a local optionist..
The fact, however, that the prohibition law as a
whole, does not meet with his approbation would
not, it is declared, influence Mr. Travis in the dis
charge of his duties of Solicitor-General, lie will, if
elected, faithfully prosecute ill eases of violation of
the prohibition law, whenever proper and adequate
evidence is presented of such violation. But he will
not inaugurate a spy system as an adjunct to the en
forcement of this or any other laws. This much may
he stated with the greatest emphasis.
Furthermore, Mr. Travis is resolved that while
there shall be no laxness shown in the Solicitor-Gen
eral’s action, if he is successful in the primary,
against law-breakers of any class, or in any degree,
he is also determined that no person shall be pun
ished until his guilt is proven by proper and ample
evidence. This rule will apply in all cases, whether
they be transgressions against the prohibition law or
against that fixing a penalty for murder. lie will
prosecute when it is his duty to do so; In' will see
to it that no one is PERSECUTED from his office
under any circumstances whatsoever, whether friend
or foe. And no case will be permitted by him to go
to a jury unless he is convinced that adequate testi
mony has been presented to justify such action,
stood that it is his position that a Solicitor-General
should give the strictest possible personal attention
to the duties of his office, and that he should allow no
consideration of personal or professional conveni
ence or expediency to swerve him from this course.
This will be the rule and guide of his conduct should
enough of his fellow citizens honor him with their
support at the polls.
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