New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-09
THE OHIO CAMPAIGN.
THOROUGH ORGANIZATION OF THE REPUB-
LICAN PARTY.
EFFECTIVE SPEAKING on THE STUMP AND
THOROUGH WORK OF THE EXECUTIVE


THOROUGH WORK OF THE EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE IN EVERY DISTRICT
yRosA srArF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.
Columbus. Ohio. Oct Sit has been the COM
mendable purpose of the Republican managers
in Ohio to make the campaign this fall conspic-
uously and aggresSively speaking one. Inc
Republican Conventions choice Of a candioatc
for Governor and the character OF the issues
raised by that nomination insurcdin fact, pro-
longed and vigorous stumping canvass Such
canvass, a genuine campaign OF education anu en-
nobtenment. was. under existing conditions, not
is only natural but inevitable. Major Mckinney
splendid ability as n campaign orator lent ltsei
readily to such a course, and with the additional
aid of two such trained and powerful speakers
as Senator Sherman and Ex-Governor Foraker
the Republican managers were easily able TO plo1
ont n canvass which should involve the ehectiVe
presentation of Republican principles before every
possible constituency in the State. 30 Vou"S
Ohio is in the thick of the most spirited speaking
campaign which has been seen here Tor many
years.
But the topic of this letter was to be the
campaign organizer and not the campaign ORATOR.
Though the orator has come much more co'i-
spicuously to the 'front.' the organizer shouid oy
M means be forgotten. In the cheerful and
painstalxing person of Mr.. Hahn, the chairman OF
the Republican State Executive Committee nc is
also ON hand. doing in an unobtrusive way work
which in the long run will perhaps have as much
effect on the fortunes Of the campaign rs the
logic or eloouence of the platform orator. 10 the
State Executive Committee is intrusted the oei'
;c,te task of maintaining an organization which
shall run into every voting subdivision OF e"e
State and through which the exact condition
H. rfv in
division can be accurately ascertained. And on
,b. ricetv with which this complicated machinery
can be made to work depends in great part the
result Of anv political campaign in a State as
Iaroe and varied in character Ohio. or where,
as berc the difference in strength between lhe
two partis amounts TO less than per cent OF
tho total vote That Mr.. Hahn has the Skill
and capacity to keep the State organization up 10
tho point of it's greatest effectiveness is genelalS
believed by political observers here. who polne
70 his work as chairman last year IN PROOF Vi
his clever and sagacious management. Inc eiec
tim of November, 1889. will long be remembered
90 ono of the most disastrous in the history VI
the Republican party. Yet in ono, unaer MI
Hahn's direction the whole state ucKeV weho
through successfully with the gratifying OIL
wear" plurality of 10,969 49,.
The work of the State Committee began tli'
rcar almost with the adjournment OF the conVeh-
80 =. which the State ticket was nominated.
I'm Ohio, as in most other STATES 'he hep"'Oou
S+ot. Committee is made up by Congress DIS
80 ooh district having one member chosen by
,ho delegates TO the State Convention from the
yor;ous counties or parts of counties in the dis
,r;ot OF the State Committee elected at the
Columbus convention L. W. King, OF fouhss'
town Is chairman, and F. W. Herbst. OF this
citv. is secretary But the State Committee
though nominally the governing power OF une
nartv in the State, is too widely scattered ana
unwieldy body to take active charge Oh
political ampaign. So each year it transfers us
authority to a smaller Executive Commle'ee'
whose members may may not be State Ooh-
mitteemen at the same time ms year no menoci
o, the State Committee is on the Executive Com
mittee. and the abdicaton Of power by the larger
body is thus singularly complete The State
candidates. however, are supposed to have the
privilege of selecting the Executive Committee
and their wishes generally prevail with the State
Committee II is understood that Major MchlD-
lev strongly favored the reelection OF MI Ham
and with the other candidates chose also ue
secretary, Mr. Matthews, Of Columbus, ana Tie
other ten members of the Executive COMMITTEE
Mr. Hahn lives in Mansfield, and is friend ana
neighbor of Senator Sherman lie is shrewo ana
energetic, and enjoys high degree OF popularity
in the party in Ohio, holding tue important state
office of Member Of the Board of Public Works'
This is his second campaign and If the Mchlhley
ticket is elected next month by the majority which
many sanguine Republicans now look forward TO.
Mr. Hahms reputation political manager Will
he made in this State Mr.. Matthews, the secre-
tary of the committee, has had a good deal OF ex-
perience in the routine of State campaigns, ana
his advice is valued at headquarters
The Executive Committee organized about the
middle of August and took building here In
Safest, just around from the eastern edge Of the
State House Park. big American nag was
spread from an uppor story window. and on the
outer wall at each side of the doorway was nailed
piece of American-made tin plate Since then
the manufacture of tin plate in this country, ana
particularly at Piqua, in this State has become an
active issue of the and the tin medallion
the tin horn and the tin wallling-sticS nave De-
come as distinctively the Republican campaign
badges as the Stars and Stripes in the Presi-
Dental contest of 1888. The actual routine WORK
Of State organization began about August 90 BY
that time most of the county conventions had been
held and the names of the county committeeman
could be obtained and correspondence begun with
them In nearly all of the counties of Ohio each
township has representative on the County Coih-
mittee and if the township is divided into voting
precincts, one Republican from each precinct is
mustered in on the roll Of active workers kept by
the State Committee. To its agent in each sub
division pol-books and other necessary canvassing
materials are sent, and by October, often earlier
returns from nearly all of the 5000 separate
voting districts in the State received at the
headquarters here. If it is remembered that, first
of all, to complete the organization in all these
5000 districts vast amount of correspondence is
required, and that TO each agent from four to ten
letters have subsequently to be written, some idea
may be gained of the labor put upon the Executive
Committee and its force of clerks. All through
the excessive heat of August and September Mr.
Hahn kept the mail carriers hard at work, and
$3.50, ,ho,iob in n few counties the machinery is