St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-03
THE OHIO CAMPAIGN.

An Ohio campaign always eXcites in
terest, possibly because there Is usually
more politics to the square inch in Ohio
than in any other state. But the cam
paign this year promises to be unusually
interesting, owing to the fact that
number of prominent Ohio politicians
are looking to the result as the mea rs
of determining their future possibilities.
Ohio is Republican state, and never
fails to stand in line in national con-
test. Yet in off years it is one of the
most uncertain states in the Union, and
this being an OFF year. additional interest
is given to the campaign now in progress
in that state. Both parties have their
tickets in the field, and presumably all
the sinews of war at hand. The cleo
ton of a United States senator being
one of the remote results of the cam
paign justifies the statement that there
will be no lack of campaign Doodle on
both sides.
Gov. FORAKER, the Republican NOM
inee, has three times before been a can
didate for the same office, once a loser
and twice winner. He is an extreme
partisan, and yet his partiSanShip is of
that type which appeals strongly to the
average Ohio voter. he is not man of
exceptional ability, but his administra-
ton of state affairs, with some minor
exceptions, has been honest and efficient.
Hon. JAMES E. CAMPBELL, the Demo
cratic candidate, is man of more abil-
ity than FORAKER, and an experienced
and aggressive eampaigner.
Although the candidate of the minor
ity party, he does not consider that he is
engaged in a hopeless canvass. The
victories heretofore achieved by the
Democrats in off years under the leader
ship of BISHOP, HOADLY and that fine
old Democratic gentleman of the olden
time, WILLIAM ALLEN, encourage Mr..
CAMPBELL in the belief that he has a
good show to win in this fight. His per-
Sonal popularity is atteSted by the fact
that he has three times been elected to
congress as Democrat in Republican
district.
There is no reason to suspect that
Gov. FORAKER will let the election go
by default. He is a notable stump
speaker, and if personal effort can win
a victory he is the man to do the work.
He is too shrewd politician to under
estimate the strength of his opponent
or to be content to rely on a party
majority for his election. He knows
that there is work ahead of him, and in
addition to that he realizes that his own
prospects for future political preferment
are bound up in the result of this cam
paign. So far as he is individually con-
cerned it is fight to finish. and he
has nerved himself up to the contest.
And it is this peculiar crisis in FORA
KER'S political career which has nerYed
the Democrats to make the attempt
to capture the state. FORAKER's
danger is from his own party
leaders. who stand, knife in hand,
ready to stab him whenever
the opportunity offers. They regard
him as pestilential fellow, whose am
bition must be curbed. Senator SHER-
MAN hates him as the devil does holy
water. HALSTEAD. FOSTER, MCKIN-
LEY, and the others who are ambitious
of the senatorship. look upon him with
politics. when the party need not suffer
seriously by defeat, they are perfectly
willing that FORAKER should be
slaughtered, in case it can be done with
out injuring their own prospects. With
CAMPBELL making vigorous charge
in front of him, and his own party asso-
ciateS fighting him from the rear. For
AKER's position is decidedly uncomfort-
able. But if he should win under all
| these adverse conditions, it will give
him grip in Ohio politics that will not
be relaxed until he has ridden down all
of his Republican competitors, and has
grasped the senatorial prize for himself.
In the meantime Senator PAYNE has
not yet made up his mind to quit the
senate, and such a thing is possible
that FORAKER may be reelected COVER
nor, while the Democrats capture the
legislature. Such combinations have