The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-04
THE STRUGGLE IN OHIO.
Tue CATHOLIC SCHOOL QUESTION
dND IHE CURRENCY ISSUE.

Reserve and IN tue fItntug DtstrtctS.
ALLIANCE. Ohio, Sept. 2-This town Is the
rateway between the Western Reserve on the
north and the iron districts on the south. II Is
ID STARK county, the nfih in population and the
fourth in wealth in Ohio. II lies on the banks
OF the Mahoning. The Pittsburgh and Cleveland
Railway, and the Pittsburgh, Fort WAYNE and
Chicago Railway, two Of Tom Scotts great con-
Meeting links between the Atlantic and the lakes
and prairies Of the West. pass through II.
new narrow gauge road. called the Lake Ere
Alliance aud Wheeling Railway, which IA TO eK-
tend from the two extreme points Indicated oy
the corporate name, Is now In process OF con-
siructlun right through the heart OF this town.
Tho contractor is Hon Francis W Kellogg, who
10 long represented one OF the Michigan DIS
tricts In Congress as a Republican.
came to Alliance because 1t contains a large
rolling mill, formerly employing hundreds OF
workmen. hut whose furnaces are now as cold
As iccbcrcs because meeting was to be held
here IN favor Of the election Of Allen, to be ad-
dressed 10y Henry Dlandy, Esq" OF Zancsville
one " the heaviest manufacturers in Central
and Eastern Ohio, and who, until this campaign
has been an active Republicsn: and because
there would be congreRatod here Just at pres
snt gentlemen whose business both in relation
20 the new railroad and current politics has led
thcm TO travel VI late through tho counties
nurih OF AlnhnCe WneFo fTotebtautlAm OF the
hard headed Puritan type does much abound,
and over the counties south Of 1t, where the
skies are turned to tawney hue by the smoke
and dust that rise from thous ands Of iron
furnaces and coal mines. II Is admitted on all
bands thar tho two localities have named, and
the two elements limited at, will exert power
ful and perhaps a controlling influence upon tho
pending election.
And first as to the Catholic or school question
IhAye already discussed this subject so elabo.
ratey In tnis correspondence that 1 will refer to
It oly briefly now. made close inquiries In
respect to 1t IN four or i've large towns on the
Reserve before coming here. Indeed, Cleveland
Is the lungs Of the twelve Reserve counties, and
n one listens he can hear all their breathings
there. To change the fgure, Cleveland Is the
heart Of the Reserve, aud its pulsations can be
counted In that 1ourishng city, which Is also
The mouth to speak, Of a vast iron and coal
shaft extending through the eastern third Of
the state from Lake Erie to the Ohio river.
Now, | am confident that the Republicans
greatly over estimate the gains they will make
in this locality on the school issue. For every
extra vote they get ON that subject, feel cer-
tain that, outside OF Cleveland, "hard times"
will scfcw at least one out OF their party on the
currency. am Of the opinion that the only
srect Of the Catholic question ON the Reserve
will be- to increase the Republican vote as COM
pared with that cast last year; but on the other
hand there will be corresponding increase Of
the Democratic vote in that locality.
And this brings me TO the main subject, and
TO tie mining districts lying around and south
ward and eastward OF Alliance, and which ex-
tend clear TO the river. The financial problem,
now in process Of solution, Is playing the mis-
chief with the Republicans in this important
section OF the State. The hard-money men Of
may discredit this; but unless all tho present
Smens are deceptive, and there Is All unexpect-
cd turn OF the tide during the remaining ak
weeks Of the campaign, the result in October will
Serify my prediction, and Allen will he elected. /
DO not hear OF q Democrat In the section now
under consideration who will refuse to support
the regular ticket on account OF the financial
plank In the Columbus platform. The hard
money Democrats do this because they regard
the Republican platform on this subject as a
selusiOn and a cheat. but ID ainly for the reason
that they do not believe that to get beaten in
ohio now would be good way to prepare for
slecting . Democratic President next year. l
am not mistaken In saying that eminent hard
money Democrats In Ohio, who are recognized
ss leaders all over the Union, take this view Of
ihe situation and Of their duty. On the other
hand, there are In these mining districts active
Republicans, typical men with considerable
soowings, who are either operly supporting
Allen or will leave Hayes In the lurch by not
voting at all.
These Republicans are divided into three
classes, AS know by conversing with all three;
those who favor Ultimate specie payment, but
oppose contraction while reaching IL those
who look TO specie payment long way a. and
favor moderate expansion TO meet the wants Of
business In the mean time; and those who
repudiGte all the old Ideas OF basine currency
OH coin, and, like Butler Kelley, and their
school, believe that the national Government
should issue all the money in the country, and
make it al out of paper.
However, fancy that the chief benefits these
Republicans are looking for through the election
OF Allen and the prospective overthrow OF the
Republicans in the next Presidential election
are that change in our rulers would inspire
such confidence In financial and business circles
that manufactures, trade, and commerce could
then get hold OF what money there is in the
country on easier terms than at present and
use II to better advantage than they can now.
in word, judging from conversations with the
more Intelligent Of these gentlemen, they look
"r revival OF business rather to the con
hdenoe which change Of rulers would inspire,
than to the operation OF new financial theories
AM may add that this Is the opinion, too Of
a large body Of what are called the soft, money
Demncrais OF ONO. Nevertheless, the paper
money doctrines Of the Butler Kelley and
Cary school permeate both parties in this State
few dctails will be In point A highly intel
heent business man, always a Republican, who
has travelled through the mining region from
'ae Mahoning t. the Ohio, tells me that he is OF
the opinion that from eight TO ten per cent. OF
The Republicans In the iron and coal counties
Will either vote for Alien or stiy away from the
polls lie thinks that In some OF the towns
where the swart and swarthy artisans are out OF
employ this percentage will be still larger. My
informant is not a heated partisan, but cool
calculator, and thoTe could hardly be better au-
tbOrity for such statement.
Another Republican, a hard-money man, an
advocate for as speedy return TO specie pay
ment as will not shock trade and commerce ito
quote the Ohio Republican PLATFORM, has just
gone over a part Of the counties under review
on business quite aside from politics. He talked
business, but In spite Of himself politics inter
meddled wherever he went. He confirms all
that my informant above mentioned said. In
deed he puts the percentage OF Republican de-
tection little higher in the region he passed |
through. No person could form estimates from |
IlN aNaaNlN