Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-24
OHIO POLITICAL GOSSIP.
Specializing the Probable Democratic
Candidate for Governor.

Candidate for Governor.
! Correspondence OF The Evening Sta
COLUMBUS. OHIO, March %, 1898
IL the report that Col. James E. Neal Of
/ Hamilton, Ohio, is to be made United States
consul to Liverpool ia true, as seems probable
now. the democrats will lose a most available
| candidate for governor and one to whom the
party seems to have almost unanimously turned
since Harter and Cultivate announced that
they were not candidates for the nomination.
Recently there has been considerable talk OF
Allen ". Thurman. son of the "Old Roman. !"
as democratic candidate FOR governor, and since
Virgil p. Kline of Cleveland has also declined
to be candidate about the only available men
for this Office seem to be young Thurman and
Judge Sam F. Hunt Of Cincinnati.
Judge Hunt is a co-trustee with Senator C. s.
Brice Of the Miami College at Oxford, gradu-
| ated in the same class with the Senator at that
institution and is a brilliant and able man. He
was appointed to the superior court bench of
Hamilton county by Governor Campbell to fill
the vacancy caused by the resignation Of Will
liam n. Taft, who was given an appointment in
the Department Of Justice under President
Harrison's administration. He was subsequently,
elected 10 the same bench and is now tine cam
didate of his party Tor reelection. A leading
German republican newspaper has Endorsed
him fact that is indicative of his popularity.
George III. Pendleton, Senator Pendleton's
mothers name being Hunt Should Judge
Hunt resign Governor Mckinley would be
given a chance TO appoint republican to the
Office, but he need not resign to be a candidate,
and trading a superior court judgeship for the
governorship would not be . bad bargain for
either MIR. Hunt or his party.
GOV. x'KINLEYs INTENTIONS.
Many leadicg republicans here still claim to
be uncertain as to whether Gov. Mckinley will
I've candidate for election to the governorship
again this fall. State Auditor E. W. Poe, who
has had his eye on this Office for some time is
very anxious about the matter. In conversation
with rsE STA. correspondent regarding the
campaign outlook Mr.. Poe said this week that
he had not been able to find ont whether the
governor wCuld be a candidate or not He gave
IHE STAR to understand that his own position
in tie matter would be determined entirely by
the course OF the governor. Auditor Poe would
probably have little difficulty in making HIM
self the candidate OF the Foraker faction of the
party for the gubernatorial nomination If Gov.
Mckinley were out os the way.
Ut is the general belief here. however, that
the governor will make no further utterance in
the matter. and thus facility become a candidate
for the nomination. That Gov. Mckinley has
a host of friends, both in Ohio and elsewhere
who are as true to him In defeat as they were
in victory is abundantly proved by the letters
that have fairly poured in upon him since. his
financial disaster. The greater part of his time
since then has been taken in the dictation of
answers 10 these letters most Of which came
from people with whom he had no acquaint-
ance-all expressing sympathy and most of
them rendering aid. To correspondent for an
Ohio newspaper who asked the governor to al
low him to select some of these letters for pub
LEGATION. he said: mo, cannot do it; they are
too tender and too touching TO me to give them
to the public. You may say that they come
from all classes and conditions of men and are
full of expressions of sympathy" The governor
has always been strong with his party in this
state and his financial embarrassment, and his
conduct under it, have only served to make
him stronger. If he cares for the nomination
he will get it; and if nominated the democrats
admit be will be a hard man to defeat.
The STAR correspondent asked the governor
a few days ago If it was true as reported from
Chicago. that his trustees had received enough
in voluntary contributions i'll his behalf to dis
charge his entire liability on the Walker notes.
He replied that he knew nothing about it, that to
all offers OF financial aid made to him he had
protested that he was not an object of charity,
and as he proposed to pay his own debts he
must decline the offer with thanks. His trus-
tees knew his wishes. but he did not know what
they had done. The whole matter of applying
his property and that of Mrs. Mckinley to the
payment of his debts had been delegated to the
trustees and he could not control them
II Is the general opinion here, however that
while the popular contributions have amounted
to a considerable sum the total has been by no
means sufficient to pay the Walker notes, but
that the bulk of that Indebtedness has really
been paid By the trustees themselves and some
wealthy friends OF the governor.