The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-31
Will Be Summoned to Columbus to Con-
fer With DiSSruntled Reps.
MAJOR DICK is VERY CONFIDENT
That the Proposed Fusion Arrangement viii Be
Given Up-Breeze Created by State
ment That Representative Snyder
Would Oppose Hanna.

Columbus, o., Dec 30.-ThiS has been
day of conferences with anti-Hanna repub-
licans, and from the best information OBJ
tainable the results have not been alto
gether encouraging, although the claims Oh
the faction have not been modified IN the
least. These conferences have been with
the leaders of the democracy, who are in
favor of a fusion with the anti-Hanna re-
pubicans to defeat Mr.. Hanna The CEN
trail figures have been Charles l.. hurtz,
leader of the anti-Hanna republicans, and
Allen o. Myers, who is endeavoring to
bring the democratic members-elect OF the
legislature into line for the proposed fusion.
At these conferences, which began TINS
morning and continued into the night, the
democrats were asked to state just now
many of their members they could count
upon in the proposed fusion. 1t Is UNDER
stood that it was stated seven democratic
members had refused positively TO vote 1or
any one except a democrat for United
States senator, not even free silver re-
publican. 1t is also understood that the
number of democrats who will oppose tu-
sion may be increased to ten or fifteen.
The Entire Vote
Tt developed that almost the entire demo-
cratic vote of the legislature will be re-
quired on a fusion to defeat Senator Hanna
and the democratic leaders are not willing
to enter into any arrangement wnlch may
fail of success, as it would expose the party
to ridicule 1t was at once determined to
summon all the democratic members to Co
lumbus at once and kilograms were sent TO
all of them requesting them to report FRI
day afternoon without fail for a conference.
Whether the plans for a fusion will be
pushed or some other plan be adopted by
Mr. Kurtz will probably be determined by
the conference. The only republican mem
bers conspicuous at the anti-Hanna head
quarters in the Great Southern hotel today
were Representatives Brambley and Mason,
of Cleveland.
1t was given out that Senator Burke, of
Cleveland, will vote with the democrats
in breaking the slate of the republican
caucus in the senate, but as Mr.. Burke has
not yet arrived in the city this statement
could not be verified.
Major Dick who has charge of Senator
Hanna's personal interests was feeling very
confident tonight that the proposed fusion
arrangement would be broken. Sentiment
among the republicans of the state is rap
idly crystalizing under the vigorous assaults
| of the republican newspapers upon Mr..
Kurtz and the anlti-Hanna movement. 1t
is claimed that If the anti Hanna republi-
cans force a deadlock it will bring more
people to the capital than have ever been
here before. The supporters of Mr. Hanna
do not admit that any republican will vote
against him and 1T is significant that none
of the members claimed to be opposed to
Mr.. anna have said publicly that they
will not vote for him.
A Breeze Created
A breeze was created today by a state
ment in an evening paper that Mr.. Kurtzs
lieutenants claimed to have a written
pledge from Representative Snyder, of
Greene county, that he would not support
Mr. Hanna. Mr.. Snyder publicly declared
last night that he would support Senator
Hanna, and today a delegation of Gov.
Bushnell's appointees at Xenia home for
soldiers and sailors orphans, which is To-
Gated in Mr.. Snyder's home county, ar
rived in the city and at once began to i'm
perfume him to change his mind. Mr.. Sny-
der was greatly incensed at this interfer-
ence. which he considered unwarranted,
and promptly resented it. Tonight he gave
out the following statement:
"There appeared a statement in the CO.
lumbuS DiSpatcn THIS evening Wnlch not
only compromised myself but the good
name of Gov. Bushnell as well. Desiring
to clear our skirts of any blame for the
part which some persons seem to be taking
in opposition to the reelection of Senator
Hanna to the United States senate, sent
a letter to Gov. Bushnell, and now desire to
say publicly for myself and desire to say
publicly for myself and my county, we
shall support Senator Hanna first. last and
always, believing that the time has come
when anything else is treachery to the re-
publican party.