Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-13
AN ANTI-CAMPBELL TRICK.
The Vote of 1889 Selected ~ Basis for Calling
the Ohio Convention.

Inc vote OF 1881 selected n BASIS Tor CAllinG
the Ohio Convention.
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.
COLUMBUS. ONO, May II, 1892.
The apparently harmonious meeting Of
the democratic state central committee herr
two weeks ago, when the date Of the STATE
convention was determined upon, ha,
Unexpectedly developed a little Of the
old anti-Campbell feeling, and discovery made
this week causes considerable apprehension
among Governor Campbell's friends us to the
course his enemies in the party will pursue in
the selection Of delegates to the national con
vention at Chicago.
Of course. the name of Gov Campbell will
be proposed Ne one of the delegates-at-large and
not "a few democrats believe that he will stand
before the convention as a strong candidate fol-
the presidential nomination. In the latter even,
the manifestation of opposition in his own dele
CATION would be n serious obstacle to him.
In hxlng the ratio for representation in state
conventions it has been the rule of the party t.
go back TO the nearest stale election except
where IN the year preceding that election a
presidential election has taken place. The
idea is to select an election which has brought
out the full vote of the party. No committee
IN fixing ratio for representation has ever gone
back over one gubernatorial election to another
for such basis
In the calls for the democratic state conven-
the vote for Gov. Campbell in 1899 instead of
IN 1891. as precedent would suggest. The
change Is q matter of great advantage to the
enemies of Gov. Campbell, for the reason that
last year they either stayed away from the polls
voted for the republican candidate for governor.
The advantage to them Is so marked that by
going back to the election of three years ago
the democrats of Hamilton county. where the
opposition TO Gov. Campbell was strongest. Sc
cure twenty more delegates 10 the state con-
vention than they would if the vote of list year
had been taken for basis. But this differ
ence hardly represents the real advantage to
the anti-Campbell mer. for the reason that by
the same change the democrats in the strong
Campbell centers lose votes by the change in
about the same ratio as the anti-Cumpben DEM
ocrats gain them in their strOngholds.
Ii is quite evident that the committee had no
intention OF choosing this basis for the ratio.
number of members whose attention has been
called to the published calls are surprised to see
that the basis is fixed on the vote of 1889. 1t
appears that a special subcommittee of three
WAS appointed to fiN the apportionment the
committee merely determining that there should
be one delegate for each 500 votes and fraction
over 25G. Some one evidently got in his work
against the governor. Chairman Norton has
written TO Secretary Lartis of West ElktOn ask
ing how the official calls came TO be prepared
in this manner.
REGARDED AS AN ANTI-cAMPBELL TRICK.
While Gov. Campbell and his friends claim
that it will not make any particular difference,
it is plain to see that they regard it as trick
by his enemies. As matter of fact, it will in
crease the number Of delegates 20 the state
convention about sixty. all of which number
will probably be unfriendly TO ex-Gov. Camp
bell. 1t is hardly possible. however. that the
opposition to him can succeed in preventing the
selection of delegates-at-large friendly to Mr.
Campbell. 1t is altogether likely, too, that the