Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-11-14
Senator Brice's Ambition.
Chicago Herald, Rep,)


One result of Tuesdays election,
we hear on good authority, is the dis
appearance of Calvin S. Brice from
Ohio. A year from next March his
term as United States senator from
the Buckeye state. will come to an
end, and by that time he will have
acquired legal residence in New York.
The dust of Ohio will be forever
shaken from his feet. In New York
Mr.. Brice expects to go into politics.
He is ambitious and believes he has
a future. Still a young mamie is
lust 50-Mr Brice has plenty of time.
Some day he hopes to be president.
A friend of the senator tells me Mr..
Brice has determined to be president
of the United States before he dies,
and Brice is man who believes he
can do anything in this world he sets
out to do. He has sublime faith IN
himself, and well he may have, for he
is unquestionably remarkable man.
Those who imagine Mr.. Brice to be
simply O. money-maker and vulgar
sort of politician with a check-book
at his command mistake the man.
There is in public life to-day no more
a keener scent for the trend ofpublic
opinion, no more searching analyst
of men and events than Mr.. Brlce. |
am reminded of what Mr.. Danna said
of Mr.. Brice few day ago. Being
asked his opinion of the Ohio senator,
he replied; II do not know Mr. Brice
very well, but in my opinion he is the
strongest and ablest of all the young
men of the day. l think he may
fairly be considered a man of his
times Coming from Mr.. Danna,
this was pretty strong praise.
Brice showed his shrewdness in the
recent campaign in Ohio. Sixty days
ago he thought of making a fight for
the state. He was prepared, in case
he saw a chance to win, to throw
million of money into the canvass.
But before doing so his Temperament
tai caution sent him to Ohio to look
into affairs for himself. Three tours
did he make across the state by spec
ial train. Each time he took with
him q railroad superintendent, and
the duty of this official was to go to
each station agent along the line and
say to him: "There is q gentleman
in the car out here who wants to talk
politics with you. He doesn't care
what party you belong to, but he
wants you to tell him just what you
hear and think He wants you to be
frank and honest with him." When
the agent entered the car he was
taken in hand by Mr.. Brice and there
is no keener oss-eXaminer than he.
In twominutes he had ascertained all
that agent knew about the political
situation, all he learned from his in
tercourse with travellers, with ship
pers and with politicians. Then the
special car was hurried on to the next
station, where the process was re-
peated.
In this way Brice gauged public
sentiment in Ohio, and he gauged 1t
so accurately that he decided not to
make q fight for the state. He knew
there was no chance of success. All
he did do was to make a show for the
sake of appearances, for the sake Of
holding the party together. The re-
suit is a justification of his Judgment
and of his method, which is quite
like Mr.. Croker's way of going about
New York before an election, talking
with the street, car and truck drivers,
with laboring men on the street, and
with BARRIERS in their shops. In 1892
Mr.. Croker told me, three days before
election, within 5000 of Cleveland S
plurality in the city, and last week
he told Tammany would win by 25,
00O They fall only few thousands
short of that figure. Mr. Brice was
not quite so accurate in his estimate
of Bushnell's majority in Ohio. He
thought in would be 10000 or 100000
Mr. Brice believes in the succession
of parties in power in this country
With many other observers, he thinks
we have reached condition in oul
politics where responsibility will un
horse any party.