The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-19
AN ELEVENTH HOUR KICK.
Ohio Democratic Delegates Make a Hot
Fight on BriCG.

the State Convention in Columbus.
The Opposition Said to Be Compact,
Aggressive and Ably Led-But He
Has the ConventionsTwo to One.
Columbus, o., Sept. 1s.-The adherents
of Mr. Calvin s. Brice will control the
democratic state convention tomorrow by
two to one. This much is certain. But
the opposition to the junior senator, which
is based upon his anti-administra lion
course in the recent tariff contest, is COM
pact, aggressive and under good leader
ship, and because it is outnumbered it
does not follow that it will accept the
peace and harmony programme of the
Brice followers without putting itself on
| record. Much depends upon the action of
the committee on resolutions, which
went into conference at o'clock,
with every prospect of an all night
session. If the representatives of the
senator on the committee will agree to
the resolution unqualihedly indorsing
President Cleveland, together with the
administration tariff bill, and expressing
regret that it had to give way to the SEN
ate substitute, the opposition will be con-
! programme, there win be a minority re-
! port. in which the senator's course will
be handled without gloves, and a fight
| will be precipitated on the floor of the
convention. In this event, say the
| minority, many of those now
! counted as among the senator's support
| ers will put themselves on record with
| the other side. In a political sense. it has
been one of the hottest days that ever
! preceded a state gathering of the Ohio
! democracy. The making of ticket has
been entirely lost sight Of and, contrary
! to all precedent, not a single candidate
| for any of the places to be filled has
opened headquarters. Excitement and
/ activity alike concentrated upon
| the eleventh hour attack upon
the junior senator His opponents were
| first on the field; but his friends were
| close at their heels. POsJmasters, special
| treasury agents, bank examiners, col
| lectors of internal revenue and other
| oficeholders came pouring in from all
! quarters of the state. Col. Ike Hill, door
keeper Of the national House of Repre-
sentatives, and B. w. Layton, assistant
sergeantat-arms Of the United States
Senate, were early on hand TO assure all
comers that the antagonism to the sena-
tor was merely flash in
the pam" Veteran democrats who
for years put in an appearance
to 'give Cal Brice lift" as most of them
put it, still there were enough democratic
senators and representatives of the gen
eral assembly that elected Mr.. Brice to
the Senate to make good sized reunion.
By noon it looked as though the opposition
| would be snuffed out by noise and num-
bers, and it was reported that it had given
up the fight and decided to come into
camp. Instead of this, however, it ha0
been simply laying low, and on the heels
of the report it began TO put itself very
much in evidence. Thousands of copies
! Of the Toledo Bee containing
| scores of extracts from democratic papers
| all over the state, some eulogistic of Pres
| ident Cleveland and the Wilson bill, 9th
| ers denunciatory of the course of Brice
and German, and still more demanding
| that the state convention denounce the
| senators that defeated tariff legislation,
were scattered around and read with
| avidity. So were circulars demanding
that the voice of the Ohio democracy, as
| expressed in its press and district conven-
tions, be given honest expression
| at to-morrow's gathering, to the
| end that the great body of tariff
reformers in Ohio should not be hamp-
cred in their fight for principle in 1894
and 1895 by the necessity of defending
Senator Brice's course in the Senate
Newly arrived delegates regarded as "On
the fence" were taken in hand by com
mittees from Alliance, Cuyahoga
Youngstown and other strong anti-Brice
districts, and treated to argument and
persuasion in allopathic doses. The prin-
cipal arguments induced by the opposi-
tion were that President Cleveland and
the administration tariff bill were en-
titled to endorsement if the previous
declarations of the Ohio democracy
were TO be maintained; that Senator
Brice was an obstructionist; that his
course in the Senate had created general
dissatisfaction throughout the state; that
the opposition to Brice came from the
people, and was an effort of the rank and
file to discipline the bosses and assert
control; and that ii was far better to
have the fight over and done with now
than TO carry it into next year when the
party would have a gubernatorial and
legislative fight on it's hands.
These arguments were effective in
many cases, and when Congressman
Tom L. Johnson, fresh from his renomi-
mating convention. came marching at the
head of a big delegation from his home
district, it looked as though there would
be stampede from the senator's banner
But his friends were not only staunch and
numerous, but influential TO boot, and
they had little difficulty in keeping the
main lines of their forces well in hand
Tonight the ants have given up all
hope Of controlling the convention, and
will be content if they succeed in forcing
an expression of their opinions upon the
record.
About the coolest man of the crowd
that besieged the Neill house in and out,
was Senator Brice himself He arrived
from the east shortly before O'Clock and
established himself in the parlor from
which John Sherman conducted his last
and most memorable senatorial campaign
Here he was in 10 all corners, but he sed-
ulously avoided all reference TO the fight
against him.
The anti-Brice element was consider
ably chagrined at the attitude of Law
renee r. Neal of ChilicOthe, the party
nominee for governor last year, and who
was the author of the famous tariff plank
adopted by the last national convention,
was looked upon as one Of their strongest
allies. Instead of this, he took occasion
early In the day 10 express the opinion
that the Senate bill was a step in the
right direction and that no one who voted
for IL should be condemned,
THE PROPOSED PLATFORM.
Mr. Neal says: "rhe convention should
indorse President Cleveland, the House
bill. the Senate bill and those who voted
for IL, and pledge the party 20 keep up
the fight" AS a member Of the COM
mittee on resolutions Mr.. Neal is press
ing this view upon that body tonight
L.