The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-22
BUCKEYE REPUBLICANS
MUCH INTEREST IN THE CoNVEN-
TION WHICH MEETS TONIGHT.
Fight for C,1airmanship of the State
CoEmittee--Hanna Favors Dick
and Foraker Prefers kurtz.

-o
TOLEDO. o.. June 2.-Although the Re-
publican state convention does not assemble
till tomorrow there are many delegates
here to-day. There is no opposition to the
Endorsement of Senator Hanna for re-eec-
ton or to the nomination of Governor
Bushnell and the rest of the state officers,
but there is a hard fight pending between
Major Charles f. Dick, secretary of the
national committee and Hon. Charles L.
Kurtz, for chairman of the state campaign
committee. As the Mckinley and Hanna
men are supporting Dick and the. Foraker
and Bushnell following favor K0ftz this
contest is the feature of the convention
Nothing else is heard of here to-day and
this contest for the control of the organ
ization is what brought the delegates here
so early. Dick claims his election with thr-
teen out of the twenty-one state commit
teemen. Dick arrived yesterday and Kurtz
will be here tonight. Both have opened
headquarters and their rooms are the only
points of interest The Kurtz men claim
that the state committee to-day stands ten
for Kurtz ten for Dick and one doubtful
Governor Bushnell and other state officers
and Chairman Kurtz arrived tonight, and
Immediately took up the fight for the state
nell said it had always been the custom
for the candidate for Governor to name the
chairman and that he would insist the
continuance of Chairman Kurtz, who had
made an excellent record in the last two
campaigns. The Governor would not con-
firm the reports that he would decline the
nomination if Major Dick or any other
man elected to manage the cam
paign instead of Chairman Kurtz. He said
he could not say what he would do in adj
vance of the nomination. but he was en-
phatic in expressing his regret that this
trouble in the party organization had been
brought about. The Governor said Chair
man Kurtz would work as hard for the
election of members of the Legislature as
for the state ticket, and that the charges
were so unjust that Chairman kurtz should
now be indicated While the managers
for Mr.. Dick were tonight claiming seven
teen out of the twenty-one congressional
districts for committeeman, Mr.. kurtZ was
working with confidence of reelection and
claiming an even fight. kurtz claimed that
when the state central committee recently
met in Columbus to fix the time and place
for this convention, that Senator Hanna
sent Major Dick there as his representative
and that it was then agreed that kurtz
should continue as chairman. Since then
there has been 1change Of plans that has has
claim no one knew anything Of it except
those in the secret at Washington and that
emissaries were sent from Washington to
the county conventions last week when
Senator Hanna made his first open move.
Chairman kurtZ said tonight thap the
fight to-day has been waged under such
conditions that he cannot withdraw or be
a party to any compromise. His name
would be presented to the state central
committee and If defeated they would know
who was responsible for breaking promises.
Governor Bushnell and the state officers,
who will also be renominated, are working
hard for Kurtz tonight.
nnpnlV stated that Senator
has appealed to his friends to stand for
Kurtz. The following that President Nc
Kinley and Secretary Sherman have always
had in Ohio conventions are working ag-
excessively for Dick and the administration
is freely quoted as favoring Dick.
Senator Hanna had arranged to be here
tonight but he will not arrive until to-
morrow. His friends are here in full force
and on account of this contest almost all
of the delegates are in tonight This ques-
ton will be settled when the delegates meet
by congressional districts tomorrow after
noon. The members of the state central
committee selected at that time will meet
tomorrow night to select the campaign
chairman and the fight will likely continue
to finish at that time. This is the all
absorbing issue of the convention, as it has
the two Ohio senator's on opposite sides, as
well as the state and local administrations.
Among the intimatiOnS of the DICK men,
one is that under the management of
Chairman KurtZ last year Ohio did not do
done and that Senator Hanna, as chairman
of the national committee, was disSatis-
fed, and is unwilling now to trust to the
same chairman the canvass in which both
the short and the long terms of the SEN
atOrship as well as the state ticket are
at stake.
Governor Bushnell and Major Dick had
conference tonight. The party leaders got
them together but no compromise could
be reached, Senators Foraker and Hanna
were both conferred with by wire before
the conference. While Governor Bushnell
represented Chairman Kurtz and Senator
Foraker. as well the probable state nom
inees, it was impossible for Major Dick to
speak for Senator Hanna and others. 1t
was a sort of armiStice during the hours
of this conference, but after midnight the
contest proceeded as during the day. Sena-
tor Hanna promised to be here tomorrow
morning to confer with Governor Bushnell,
and there will be a strong effort to get an
understanding before the district meetings
of delegates in the afternoon. The kurtZ
men call attention to the fact that Hanna
was appointed senator by Governor Bush
nell, against whom the fight is now being
Waged as we'll as against kurtz.
Late tonight the leaders In the move
ment to make Major Dick chairman of the
campaign committee were in conference,
and it is said ]. H. Brigham, first assistant
secretary of agriculture, was decided on as
the candidate for Governor in the event
Governor Bushnell should decline on ac-
count of the defeat of Chairman kurtz.
Secretary Brigham arrived here to-day
from Washington.