Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-11
COUNTY
WEDNESDAY EVENING. AUGUST II. 1886
General Refers Withdrawal.


The announcement in yesterdays GLOBE
REPUBIIC of the withdrawal of General
Keller from the congressional race, came in
the nature of surprise and diSappoint-
ment TO very large number Of republicans.
While TO the Intimate friends of keifer,
who knew with what reluctance he consent
ed TO the use Of his name and his desire 10
withdraw al the first appearance OF any Op-
position, the matter was well understood;
yet the people We're not prepared for the
announcement, and it was the topic of gen
eraI conversation everywhere, and many
were the expressions of regret.
The paper from General Keifer reached
this Office yesterday at too late an hour 10
admit Of any extended notice OF the situa-
ton and the causes leading TO the action on
his part. and they can be no better ex-
pressed TODAY than correspondent has re
viewed the case in this mornings Columbus
journal:
This step on the part of General keifer
will undoubtedly lead To widespread and
varied comment. The few individuals who
were bitterly and personally hostile 10 him
because they could not Use him for their
purposes, will say that il is simply with
drawal from race in which he felt certain
he could not win. and that nothing whatever
would have induced him to withdraw if he
had believed that in the end he could be
successful But the great mass of the peO-
pie in the Eighth district know better. There
Is scarcely leading republican in any one
of these five counties. including General
-laH
II luctan 'e with which General Keifer
consented To be a candidate. even
when it seemed certain that the
republican nomination would come
IN him without opposition and without ef-
fort Ii was only after every leading Re
publican in the district had declared his I'M
willingness to be a candidate that General
Keifer signified to his friends that he would
accept the nomination.
Afterward, when Judge West, of Logan
county, was announced as candidate, it
did not make a ripple among the people
nor seem in any way to change the situ-
alton. Then. when General Kennedy final
Iy came forward, apparently more as the re-
suit Of outside pressure than OF any special
Influences within the district. General kei-
Ier's friends assured him on all hands that
the situation was still practically un-
changed He did not however himself
participate in this view. He recognized the
fact that General Kennedy had. in conse-
quence Of the legislative complications of
last winter, made great and favorable inn
preston upon large class of voters, and
'as consequently a formidable aspirant
He saw before him the very contest which
he had all along determined 10 avoid: and,
although he knew that some petty enemies
would say, if he Withdrew. that he was
scared from the track. he nevertheless de
termined to withdraw, and the very an
nOuncement that is al tie beginning of this
article was written out ready for publi- |
cation before single county of the dis |
trict had selected delegates. As early a.
last Thursday he was only prevented from
giving il to the public by the earnest repre-
sentatiOns of prominent Springfield gen
tlemen. whose wishes and repre-
Sentations he could not disregard |
Wait said they, until YOU see what
Madison county does. If Madison gives
you her entire delegation you will have
Clarke county solid. and from One-third To
One-ha!f of Champaign. and you will be !
nominated without lifting your hand" Sat
urday last Madison chose her delegates |
General keifer had not taken step in the |
county, but all active, earnest and energetic /
lawyers and number of subsidiary agents. |
was set up against him. As a result the |
delegation was divided, 1G to Is being for
keifer and to 10 for Kennedy. In |
Springfield w. y. Whiteiey announced |
himself also as opposed To General Keifer, |
and would make him fight for of Clarke'S |
80 delegates.
Your correspondent was cOuTteouSiy ad- |
mitted to a conference of the leading re-
publicanS of Springfield. which was held |
last night al General kefeT's request 10 |
consider the situation. All of them knew
of his earnest desire TO Withdraw last week
from the canvass, and all were opposed to
the withdrawal. What is the situation. "
was the inquiry all round. One of the
coolest, cleareSt heads in the county stated
1t. General Keifer," said he, will Sc
cure IS delegates from Clark without oppO-
siti0n; he has Is in Madison, and the very
lowest estimate of any of his friends is that
he will have IA in Champaign. This makes
IS votes, and 9S are necessary TO
nomination. Can the other 10
votes be secured?" To this question
there was a unanimous and enthusiastic re-
sponse in the affirmative. Can they be OBJ
tanned without fighting for them?r To this
the answer was unanimously in the mega
tive. Are all willing to make the fight?"
The answer was again unanimously and Ell
Enthusiastically, Aye" General Keifer was
himself then called in and was told the de-
cision OF the meeting. 1T is decided that
my nomination can only be obtained by a