National Republican., 1883-09-28
TH0MAN TALKS POLITICS.
The Democratic Member Of the Civil Service
Commission on the Ohio Contest
What lie Has Learned from tho News
papers ana by Recent Observation.

Judge Thoman, civil service commissioner,
is at his desk again, after brief ante-ocction
sojourn in Ohio, a reporter for THE RErUn-
LIcAS called on him yesterday with a view
Of finding out something about Buckeye poll
tics
81 do not know anything about politics"
said the commissioner, with n nervous
twitching of the lid Of tho left eye, and n
corresponding movement Of the mouth The
remark astonshcd tho inquiring writer, who
had known of him as an active politician for
years before his Appointment on the civil SER
vice board. Smotherng gasp, he suggested
that the Judge may have surmiscd that n
campaign was in progress i'll Ohio by u
perusal of the Ohio papers.
20, yes, | know there is a campaign in
progress responded the commissioner, with
n smile, but | am out of politics now and
cannot be expected to know what is going on
in that direction"
you do not consider yourself disrran-
chisod, do you, by reason of your oilice2'
mo, not exactly; but there will be an OBJ.
vious impropricty in my active participation
in political campaign. The Office has not
divested mo of feeling or of interest in
political matters, however, and | read tho
Ohio papers diligently every day. The En-
quier, Commercial G1soic, and Ncws-Jouuai
are very interesting to me now. | am posted
as far as | can be by newspaper reading on
tho various phases of tho family misundor-
standing i'll Hamilton county"
"By the way, judge / see the papers are
tritling with your name out there"
How is that? p
Holding you responsible for Pondletons 8
troubles"
"Well, declaro Do they, though? That
is very singular. | know nothing about it..
! haven't seen Senator PendletOn to talk TO
him for many months. The men who say
that about me must have vivid imagnations
to draft such a story
"Do you know what caused the split be-
tween Johnny Mclean and Senator Pendlc-
ton ?"
"NO; nothing whatever. have heard sew
eral explanations, but l suppose you have
heard the same talk"
~ do not know whether | have or not. |
have heard n story to the effect that Mcleans
hostility to the senator had its origin in the
latter's opposition to Gen. Hazen's confrma-
ton"
81 hardly believe it was that My impres.
sion is that the senator favored Gen. Hazens
confirmation"
Then you don't know anything about
Ohio politics?"
Every little. / am watching the temper
ance movement with some degree of interest,
however. The temperance people who are
dissatisfied on account of the recognition the
Scott law gives the liquor traffic will poll a
heavy vote for their amendment to tho con-
stitution"
"How many votes will it take to pass the
amendment" 4
There are 100000 voters in Ohio. Ii is
not unlikely that 100000 ballots will co fnto
the boxes next month. Possibly the humber
may not exceed 100000. The Temperance
people have been claiming 100000 ,Fotes right
along, and they appear to have received addi-
IN, hair ratr lnN a,
n majority of the votes cast.Y
"The adoption of this amendment would
reopen the liquor question, would it not?"
ut would bring the question before the
legislature. 1t wouldTeopen it to that ex-
tent"
ut would be tothe interest of the demo-
cratic party tothave the question thrown open
for the people to wrangle over again, wouldn't
itW
do not know"
.'"As n matter of; fact, are not tho democrats
giving the temperance people aid aud comfort
in their amendment campaign? and will not
the amendment be voted for by great many
democrats who will take that way to kill the
proposition under the pretonse of fayoring
it?"
81 do not know. The temperance people
are carrying on an independent campaign,
and not mixing in politics one way or the
other The amendment may receive good
many democratic votes. There is certainly u
big and, think, growing influence behind
it of some sort, count of the ballots will
determine its power and its significance"
The judge returned to the business of puri-
flying the civil service of the government,
and the reporter took his leave.