Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-14
THE OHIO MAN.

With His Characteristic nervousness, He
is Preparing for the Next Political Con-
test-The Rival Candidates for the Gov
ernorship and Their Ouarrels.
CLEVELAND, O., Feb. 12.-Political fur
ing for the Ohio gubernatorial nomination
of 1888, is already showing its marks on
the board. Cuyahogua county has already
two Republican candidates in the tield,and
some half dozen others who are waiting
for the public voice to pull them. over the
fence. The two candidates already an
nounced are both powerful ones. They
are Joseph Turney, the present secretary
of state, and Amos Townsend, the Twen-
tieth district representative in congress.
Turney has 40 extra amount of political
sagacity or personal intelligence to aid
him in his canvass, but still he has
record of never having met
political defeat He lives in Newburn, a
suburb of Cleveland, is temperate in poll
tics, and is personally genial and honest.
Townsend seems to stand better in this
district since the recent Democratic defeat
than at any time in his political career.
He is not popular man, but is looked to
as an eminently safe one, polite, careful,
sensible, but not brilliant, and keeper of
political promises. There is an interest
ing little scrap of history connected with
his failure to receive the nomination for
congressional honors last fall. 1t was known
that he wanted to go back to congress,
but still withdrew before the
date of the convention. Sylvester T. Ev-
erett, who was so badly defeated by Mar
tin A. Foran. was the nominee. Everett is
''keener'' in every sense of the word and
on his political headstone he would craven
the words "died of failure to keep prom
ises.' He had been pledging favors to the
party workers for fifteen years, which fav-
ors he gave or did not, as it suited him
when the day for the delivery of the goods
arrived. The disguised ones massed their
forces at last, and, in conjunction
with the prohibition element, elected
a Democrat over Everett by nearly
1000 majority. Townsend wanted that
nomination, but was too busy in Washing
ton to attend to the political wire laying.
He trusted to his friends, and Everett was
too cunning for him. When Townsend
returned home he found that the wards
had been so surrounded that no hope ex
listed for his nomination. So, rather than
be defeated in the convention, after a hot,
bitter and expensive fight, he withdrew.
Secret conferences were held between the
Everett and Townsend factions, bu
Everett had the game in his hands and
would not forbear. This was one of
his elements in his defeat. But the chief
one was Gen. Myer. then and at present
United States attorney for northern Ohio.
He stumped the district for Doan, the pro-
hibition candidate, and phiianthropic
nonentity. His watchword was Purity"
and he had some interesting facts and fig
ures on hand to show that Everett had
carried sundry of the outlying wards by
using ''heelers." Now Everett is after the
scalps of his enemies, and especially My
ers.' Speaker Keifer is a personal and
political friend of his, and will do any
work that can aid him.
It is pretty well understood
that Myer will have to go and that Maj.
Eggleston, a political soldier and lawyer
of ordinary ability, will be his successor.
Townsend has not much interest in the
fight, but would not, it is said, be very
sorry if Myer held on. Townsend's firm,
Edwards, Townsend & Co., has had great
influence in making nominations in the
past, and may at this time. But signs say
they have lost their grip.