The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-09-06
THE OHIO CANVASS.
Chairman of the Democratic
. State Committee on Rockwell
ter's Chances Of Election.

Mr.. John G. Thompson, the chairman of
the Democratic State Committee of Ohio,
was visited yesterday at the Hoffman House
by a reporter. Mr.. Thompson said, speak
ing of the alleged difficulties existing among
members of the party in the northeastern part
of the State: ,.aI.
~ have heard of nothing Of the kind. As
far as l know harmony exists among the par
ty as we'll as confidence in the result. Mr..
Bookwalter a. a candidate is acceptable to all,
and we believe him to be a popular man and
a strong standard-bearer."
SIS there any possibility of a change in the
membership of the Executive Committee be-
fore the election ?'
: n the idea is ridiculous. The mem
bers Of the committee were selected by the
State Committee with great care and although
some of them are young they are hard work.
ers and will give a good account of them
selves. We have no idea of trying to swap
horses while trying to cross a stream! The
committee Is in accord and in common with
all the members of the party looks for ahand-
some majority informing Governor Foster
that he may step down from his Gubernatori-
al chair"
"Will Mr.. Bookwalter accept Governor
Fosters challenge to go upon vhe stump"
81 do not know. l heard nothing about
the challenge until this morning and there
fore cannot say what will be lone about it."
care the prospects bright?'
81 think so. We were beaten last year on
the tariff question, which our people we're not
prepared to discuss. This year we have fixed
all that and we are ready to talk tariff as
much as they like. Our platform is a thor
oughly good one and one calculated to brisg
us votes if it is discussed"
"What will be the pivotal question Of the
campaigns"
81 do not know. Some think 1t will be
hat of labor and others have tho idea that
temperance will fill the position. 1t is very
hard to say. The people there feel deeply
the condition of the President, and that may
have some effect upon the result. There is a
good deal Of dissatisfaction felt with Cover
nor Foster and his policy, and it may be that
this will find expression in a number of Re-
publicans voting for B~ookwalter. You see,
Bookwalter's record is clean. No man can
say anything against him, and the conse-
qnence is, he is not in the position of having
to defend himself at all. While the. Republl-
cans are apologizing for their candidate, we
have nothing Of that kind to do"
"Whst effect upon the result is the temper
ance movement going to have?"
"Well, l think it will have a good zeal. The
people are very much stirred up about it, and
they seem to be very thoroughly united.
There is this to be said The temperance
campaigns in Ohio have hitherto been confn-
ed to local issues in small places, and this is
the first one in which they seem to have gath
cred strength enough to make a fight all
along the line at once. 1t would not surprise
me at all to find them develop more strength
in the election than any of the political
prophets h We expected. 1t is, however, al
most all guess work at the best. Nothing
but the ballot-boxes will show who wins"
"Are the temperance people against Gov
ernor Foster as a body?"
Every nearly so. The Republicans have
been attacking the Methodists and they have
got mad in consequences. They are almost
all in the temperance movement, and there
seems to be a kind of reaction making the
temperance people join with the Methodists
against the Republicans. It's a curiously
mixed-up situation, and as it directly and in
directly profits the Democrats, why, all we
have to do is to sit back and watch the show
and laugh. This does not prevent our work.
ing, however, as l hope you will see when
the result is announced. "-New York World,
August 9rd.