The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-05
Gossip ait
the Capital


Special Correspondence of The Tribune.
The coming Ohio Democratic State con-
ventlon, at Columbus, on June 3Oth,
promises to be of more than usual inter-
est, from the fact that the leaders of
that party confidently expect to carry
the Buckeye state next fail. The fight
in Ohio will not center on state offices
1t Will be made in the legislative dis
tricts, with a view Of electing a Demo-
cratic successor to Senator Mark Hanna.
The Republicans will also very likely
make the fight on the same lines, as it
is more important to both parties at
large to capture a United States senator
than to control the local offices of that
state. 1t will be a battle royal. The
opposing candidates for senator will be
Mr. Hanna on the Republican side, and
John r. Mclean, editor and proprietor
of the Cincinnati Enquirer, on the Demo-
cratic side. Both have announced them
selves candidates, and their respective
parties have practically endorsed them
for that position. 1t matters little who
will be the candidate for governor and
other state offices on either side. They
will only be a secondary consideration.
Ohio Republicans and Democrats in
Washington do not deny the fact that
they intend to trade off their candidates
for state offices to help pull through the
legislative candidates.
Both of the senatorial candidates are
we'll equipped with the snews of war.
They are both rich, as we'll as ambitious,
and campaign of liberal disbursement
is foregone conclusion. This Is par
ticularly true as to Mclean. He has
already spent many thousands of dollars
in his effort to capture the state organi-
zation, which he now seems TO control
without dispute. In the last campaign
Mclean played the Bryan and free silver
end of the game, and won the organiza-
ton away from Brice, who leaned to-
wards gold. There is no dsputing the
fact that there is a strong silver senti-
mcnt among the Democrats of Ohio. The
gold or sound money wing of the Demo-
cratic party in tlat state is so insignlh-
cant that 1t requires a strong microscope
to see 1t. On the other hand, the Ohio
Republicans seem to be just as solid for
honest money as the Democrats of the
state are for cheap money. Therefore,
the fight for United States senator IN
the Buckeye state will be contested on
sound money AMI free silver lines.
Probably no state campaign in the his
tory of this country will be more stub
bornly contested or watched with more
interest, from a national standpoint, than
the one which will take place in Ohio
next fall. Both parties will enter the
fight full of hope and will contest every
inch of ground most bitterly. The only
thing Mclean has to recommend him to
his part is his money. He is motor
iously corrupt politician. He has done
more to corrupt the politics of Ohio than
any other dozen men in or out of the
state. He was driven out of the state
several years ago for ballot box stutiing,
and 1t Is only very recently that he has
been able to return to the place of his
birth without fear of being arrested.
Even now he is practically an exile. He
has lived in Washington for many years,
where he owns much valuable property.
In addition to being a large real estate
owner in Washington, Mclean is the
president of the Washington Gas Light
company, one of the greatest monopolies
in the District of Columbia He is also
a heavy stockholder in most of the street
railways operated in this city. The re-
spectacle members of the Democratic
party are opposed to Mclean for senator,
because they feel that his selection will
bring dscredit upon the party. A prom
inent Ohio Democrat said today that he
would much prefer to see Mark Hanna
or any other decent Republican in the
senate than Mclean. Men of his char
acter, he said, bring discredit upon any
party.
1t is understood that William ]. Bryan,
the late free silver candidate for presi-
dent, is anxious to see Mclean win the
senatorial fight in Ohio, and that he will
devote much time in the campaign next
fall. 1t is his intention to make a COM
plete tour of the state in the interets of
Mclean. Bryan will advocate the sacri-
ficing of every candidate for state office
to help Mclean carry the legislative
districts. In doing this he will simply
be fulfilling q promise made Mclean
that in return for the latter's financial
I,I
he would lend his voice and moral in
fluence in Ohio this year. Thus, it is
evident that even Brayn, the champion
of the downtrodden people," is not above
the influence of the " money power"
New Jersey has never furnished a presi-
dent. The nearest It came to that honor,
prior TO the election of Mr. Hobart to
the vice-presidency, was in having one
of its candidates-Samuel l.. Southard-
first in line of succession, and two others
jonathan Dayton and William Penning-
ton-who, as speakers of the house, were
third in line. When Samuel L. South
ard was president, pro tempore, of the
senate, in 1S4l-42, the law directed that
in case of the death. resignation, or in
ability Of both president and vice-presi-
dent of the United States, the president
of the senate, or, II there Is none, then
the speaker OF tho house Of representa-
tives for the time being. shall act as
president until the disability is removed
or a president is elected. Mr.. Southard
was next in the order of succession,
President Harrison having died and Vice.
President Tyler having become presi-
dent. A further fact about New Jersey
is that the state has not been favored in
the matter Of cabiTet offices, there hav-
ing been only four cabinet ministers
Samuel L. Southard, secretary of the
navy, 1S23-25; Mahlon Dickerson, secre-
tary OF the navy. 1sS4-37; George NJ Rob-
eson, secretary OF the navy, 1S69-77; ana
Frederick t. Freylinghuysen, secretary
of state. 1SSl-'S5.
Senator Jones, of Arkansas, chairman
| Of the Democratic National committee,
who made a savage attack upon iron and
steel trusts in the senate on Wednesday,
is leading member CT one of the great
est trusts I'm the United States. Together
with Secretary Searles, Of the American
| Sugar Trust who was only the other
day acquitted OF conspiracy in the sugar
trust investigation by the senate COM
mittee four years ago. eX-Secretary of
| the interior Francis, Senator Vest and
other prominent southerners. Senator
| Jones Is one OF the principal stockhold-
ers in the American Cotton company.
| This company is the owner of a patent
| cylindrical cotton packing machine.
| which Is fast driving ort OF business all
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