The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-08-19

The Ohio House Divided Against Itselg.
The convention of the Democracy of Ohio 4
in 1876 assembled in tie city of Cincinnati,
and met in the famed Music l.alI. John A.
shank, of Hamilton County, was temporary
Chairman, ana it fell to the lot of George II.
Pendleton, as permanent Chairman, 20 pre-
side over the stormiest and most exciting
convention the Democracy of Ohio ever held.
For some reason General Tn omas Ewing and
General George W. Morgan we=s antagonis-
tical to the nomination of Allen G. Thurman
for the Presidency. Perhaps General Ewing
remem bered how deliberately Thurman md
set down upon his project of organizing
"new departure" and hai rebuked
him for declaring that as an organization "the
Democratic party had outlived its useful
ness" Ewing and Morgan combined their
forces and brought out Governor William
Allen as q candidate for President. The
other Democrats, headed by John G. Thonp-
son, Frank Hurd, W. w. Armstrong. W. L.
Brown, z. F. Bingham and Judge Thomas J.
Kenney were for Thurman. s. sa aDgulns were
the latter crowd the night before the conven-
tion that they had a jubilee over the pros
pective success of the Thurman ticket. But
Ewing and Morgan, using the name and
shield of Governor Allen for their purposes,
were not asleep, and, while not boasting Of
what they could do, taught the kids" Of
how to manipulate the wires.
The principal struggle came In that conven-
tIon upon the adop ion of the report Of the
majority of the Committee on Resolution .
instructing the delegates to vote for William
Allen for President General Ewing took the
floor and made brilliant and magnetic
speech in favor of the resolution. The Thur
man men, taken unawares, fought for time.
Frank Hurd was not in the convention,
I g.
a while it looked as if Ewing and Morgan
would sweep things without any serious op-
position. Judge Heisley, of Cuyahoga. was
called out and made speech against the
report and held the floor until Frank Hurd
could be found. John G. Thompson had col
| Jared him somewhere, and soon sour
| Frank" was on the platform. His elo-
/ quence was unavailingi the eyes Of the
| convention were sot" A vote was called
for and taken by counties with the following
result: Yeas (AIlen), G63; Nays 9Th urmRnl.
\ zoo. The convention then nominated for
delegates at large: General Geo. w. Morgan,
General Thomas Ewing, George H. Pendleton
and William l. O'Brien. The anomaly was
presented by the State instructiRg its dele
gates to vote for Governor Allen, while ma
/ jority of the district delegates were for Judge
! Thurman. The genial William Bell was
| nominated for Secretary of State. Bell was
I a good organizer, and made most mag
nifiesnt compaign ION the quiet" The
nominee for Supreme Judge was William6&
Finck, of Perry, and W. Il. Clough, of Batler,
| for Board of Public Works.
THE OHIO DELEGATIoN
| Had its headquarters at the Planters Hotel
| kept by William Kelsey, former proprieto-~
of the American Hotel at Columbus. The
fact that Ohio had been instructed for Allen
made it of but very little importance in the
National game of politics, and the delegates
from other States paid no attention 10 the
Buckeye State; but there were large numbers
| of Ohisns present, and the Anenites and
! Thurmanites had It hot and heavy in the
/ lobby aud at the ''bsr'' OF the Planters.