Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-07
ON A "GUM SHOE" HUNT
Ohio Republicans Conducting Quiet
Campaign.
Eject of the Recent Democratic Rally
Reed and Mckinley to Appear
at q Mass Meeting.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.


Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
go. COLUMBUS. Ohio, October 3, 1895.
The republicans are conducting very
unusual campaign in Ohio. 1t Is of the
kind known as the gum shoe" hunt, and
has often been adopted by the democrats
in this state with marked success. In fact
it is about the only kind Of tactics that
will win for them
There is a grave doubt about the wisdom
Of the adoption of these tactics by the re-
publicans, however. Ohio Is a republican
state. and If the voters are all out. the
democrats are pretty sure to be deep under
the snowdrift on the morning after the
election. A good way to get the republic
cans out to the polls is to run hot cam
paign on the democratic side, and get them
thoroughly aroused and excited. For the
democrats in Ohio to. run an open and
vigorous campaign is to play into the
hands Of the republicans. For the repub-
licans to a still hunt campaign Is to
fall in the hands of the democrats. That is
what the republicans seem to be doing just
now.
The republican state convention was held
in May and now as October opens the &C
tive work of the campaign is scarcely be-
gun. The democrats. who did not put
their ticket in the field until last month,
are as far along with their campaign work
as the republicans are. the republicans
opened their campaign formally two weeks
ago to be sure, but little has been done on
the stump since that time. 1t looks as
though 1t might be necessary to open the
Campaign again. in order to assure the
people that it Is really open.
Chairman Kurtz maintains an air of
mystery about himself and the committee
rooms that is unfavorably commented upon
by the press generally. In other years 1t
was always possible for a newspaper rep
resentative to see the chairman at any
time for moment. That Is to say, the
press was given the preference over the
general public, but now the reporters must
take their turns in securing admission to
the chairman's room.
The republicans of Hamilton county have
nominated an excellent ticket and the dem
ocratS cannot rely upon the weakness of
the candidates of their opponents, in their
hope of carrying the county. The result
Of the republican county convention in
Cincinnati renders it practically certain
the county will go republican this fall, and
the democrats must look elsewhere for
votes in the legislature to secure the
United States senatorship.
Opening the Democratic Campaign.
The democratic campaign opening here
last Saturday night was a surprise to the
republicans. The parade of clubs and dele
gatio:.s was the largest ever seen here in
a purely state campaign. There was a
great display of enthusiasm, and the whole
affair moved with an impetus that showed
that the party Is thoroughly aroused and
full of sympathy with the spirit of the
campaign. There is the danger in 1t, how
ever, that it will serve to arouse the oppo-
sition. In 1884 John g. Thompson. against
the advice Of the regular state committee,
arranged great demonstration for the
democrats, and brought Mr.. Hendricks here
to speak on the occasion.
1t q great success measured nv the
crowds that were present and the enthu-
siaSm that was shown, but it had the eff
feet OF waking up the republicans, who
were overconf1dent and would have lost the
state, as Mckinley afterward admitted,
but for this rousing meeting. The republi-
cans at once arranged for a political meet
ing and brought Mr.. Blaine here to make a
speech. That meeting was a big one and
Blaine remained in the state for two weeks
and thoroughly aroused the party to ac-
ton. The result was that the republicans
carried the state by the usual majority.
Reed and Mckinley to Speak.
|. The republicans have already announced
a rallying meeting to be held here on the
evening of the 10th Of this month"; to coun-
teract the influence of the democratic
demonstration. Thos. B. Reed Of Maine is
to be here, and will, of course, draw a
great crowd. The other speakers will be
Gov. Mckinley and ex-Gov. Foraker. Gov.
Matthews of Indiana may also be here at
that time.
1t Is said that Senator Brice was opposed
to the big demonstration here at the OPEN
tIg of the campaign for the reasons already
stated. His idea was that the party would
90 best, all through the campaign, by max
Ing still hunt. But he was outvoted in
the executive committee.
The Fight ON Brice.
A very ominous movement has been
at he Gil
the state against Senator Brice. 1t looks
as though, after all. they may get his off,
cial scalp. There is a coterie Of such men
in the party as Allen w. Thurman, E. B.
Finley, L. E. Holden of the Cleveland
Plaindealer. L. A. Russell and Judge E. J.
Plandin of Cleveland who would rather see
the party defeated than to see it return Mr..
Brice to the United States Senate. In spite
of the declaration of the party in state con-
vel ton, by an Overwhelming majority
against free silver. these men will insist
upon injecting the issue in the campaign
and making a fight as democrats for the
white metal.
This is certain to ,embarrass the party,
and may of itself cause 1t to lose the state.
In recent interview Allen w. Thurman
gave their plan of work as proposed. They
have found that number of the demo-
ecratic candidates for the legislature are
free silver advocates These the free silver
ren propose to pledge to vote for no man
LOT United states senator VINO IS unfrlendly
to silver. Mr.. Thurman thinks these
pledges can be easily imposed. In the event
that the legislature is democratic they will
have, he says, enough democratic members
SO pledged 20 hold the balance of power,
and they will vote with the republicans on
the choice Of Senator rather than for Mr..
Brice.
The weak point in the plan is in the
pledging business. Mr.. Brice can work at
that, too, and probably has anticipated the
free silver men. If the Senator should shut
off his supply of funds for the campaign, as
he would be very apt to do if he saw the
cards were being Stacked against him.
the work of the campaign would come to a
sudden stop.
$500 for an Imagination.
On page IA will be found the first INSTALL
ment of the mystery story, when the War
Was Over"
Christian EnIenYOr Union.