Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-25
OHIO DEMOCRATS ACTIVE
Faith in Success This Fall Develops Many
Gubematorial Candidates.
some of Those Who Have Put Tn
Political Lightning Rods-sorR mud
Mclean Are Opposed.


| COLUMBUS. Ohio. June "a 1877.
Tie democratic state convention which
| Will be held in this city next week prom
| Uses to be the largest state convention in
| the history OF Ohio. The democratic vote
| cast last fall, in spite OF the large defcc-
| ton of gold democrats. and the republican
| plurality OF over 10000. was by far the
| largest ever cast by the party. The ratio
| OF representation in the convention remain
| ing the same usual, one delegate for
| each 800 votes and major fraction thereof
| cast for Bryan electors. the number OF
| delegates In the convention is raised to
the enormous number OF 9S1. The party Is
enthusiastic. IN spite of the utter defeat
| OF last fall. Its members Of both factions
IRON, leaders down TO the rank and file. are
| hrmly convinced that victory awaits the
| party at the polls this fall. This fas re-
| suited in an enormously extended list or
candidates for governor, and the race for
| inns nc NINA ton has excited the deepcs; in
| terest in all parts of the state. Nearly
| every congressional district has its candi-
date for the head Of the ticket duly in
| dorsed by resolution In their local conven-
| lions. while many other "favorite sons
| are being groomed dark horses for the
| race.
| Candidates for the Nomination
The following are the svowed candidates
for the nomination for governor Allen W.
Thurman of this city, Judge J. NJ Van Me-
| tci VI nilcotne, JnO. W. Nlrln OF Defiance,
| Allen V. Smalley OF Upper Sandusky. John
G Welty of Canton, S. NJ Hunter or
| Newark, Paul ]. Sorg OF Hamilton. A w.
| Patrick of Urichsville. II. w Chapman
Of jackson and A. w. Noble of Cleveland.
| These have delegations pledged to them
| and their names will be formally presen tcd
| to the CONVEX ton
Not one-third of the delegates will come
to the convention pledged to any one for
this nomination. however. In the early
balloting they will divide their votes and
II is doubtful If any candidate will have a
| hundred votes on the first ballot Many
votes will doubtless be cast i'm the first
balloting for men whose names have no:
teen presented formally to the ccnven-
lion In this way the dark horse cand-
dates expect to get in the push when
the opportune time comes for the springing
of stampeding movement
In the number of delegates pledged. OK
| CONGRESSMAN Paul J. Socg seems TO have
the lead In fact the strength developed by
MIN in the last week has been such a. TO
alarm those who are opposed to his nou.i-
nation. John r. Mclean. who viii no
doubt be the candidate of the party for
United States senator 10 succeed senator
Hanna is said TO be opposed TO Sorg. and
the attitude OF his paper. the Enquirer,
oorroborates it. If there are any unfavor-
able comments upon the candidacy of Sorg
in any of the democratic papers of the
state that are not promptly reprinted In
the Enquirer, they have been overlooked.
These attacks are based upon Sorg's res ord
On the money question he having gone
en- record in Congress as opposed to he
free coinage of silver. The real reason,
or rather the chief reason, for McLean's
opposition to him is slid to be that If the
party takes its candidate for governor from
the southwest corner of the state. IL will
be urged that the nomination for senator
should be taken from some other quarter.
Has Smoked Sorg Out.
Whatever the arimus may be- the at
tacks have had the effect of smoking Mr.
Sorg out of the financial hole and forced
him to express himself on the money ques-
ton. In his formal statement on the SUBJ
ject he admits having formerly opposed
the proposition to admit silver 70 FREQ
coinage. bat declares that he is now firmly
of the opinion that free silver coinage only
can bring prosperity to the country. Ii is
hardly possible for Mr. Sorg to secure the
nomination. No quarter can promise him
additional strength. The delegates he has
pledged to himself come entirely from his
congressman district and surrounding
counties The free silver element of the
| party will be in overwhelming control of
| the convention, and will rot be apt to take
kindly 10 the candidacy of so recent a con-
| vert no matter how ardent his support of
| free silver may now be. The only thing to
| be said in favor of Mr.. Sorg along this line
| is That while an opponent of free silver
| after the national convention at Chicago
last year. he supported the ticket. and the
success of the democratic party in his dis
| trict was undoubtedly due 10 the efforts he
made in behalf of the candidate for Con-
| gress
Besides the avowed candidates mentioned
above the following are spoken of in con-
| nection with the nomination for governor:
Gen. Aquilla Wiley of Wooster. E. b. Fin
| ley of Bucyrus, j. H. Thomas of Spring.
field, r. T. Hough of Hilsboro', John ].
Lentz of this city, Congressman J. A. Nor
| ID. Donovan of Deshler and Col. James Kill
! bourne of this city. Probably all of these,
i and others, will receive votes in the con-
| vention.
| The situation in this county is peculiar
| The delegates are not instructed, but IL is
| supposed that they will support Allen w
| Thurman. That was the tacit understand
| ing when they were chosen. but several of
| them announce that they will not vote for
| Thurman, even as a compliment tho
| first ballot. Col. Kilbourne is a warm sup
| porter OF Thurman, and so long as he is
candidate he will not permit his own name
| to go before the convention. He is not
| friendly to Congressman LentZ however,
| anC VIII probably become a candidate as
| soon as it becomes plain that Thurman
| cannot secure the nomination, which will
| probably be soon after the balloting is be-
| gun.
Lentx Has n Good Chance.
The friends Of Congressman Lentz think
he will make a good impression upon the
| convention, and that he will make the best
| candidate for a stampeding movement. 1t
is proposed by them to have him promi-
| nentiy before the convention, possibly to
| make speech or read the resolutions, and
| IN lnlS way set MS ROD TO eaten the nOmi-
mating lightning. But for the fact that
| John r. Mclean is known not to think
| we'll of Lentz, 1t would seem not improb-
| able that a successful attempt might be
| made TO stampede the convention to him.
| IL a dozen or more ballots are taken on
| the regular candidates without a selection
| teing made.
| 1t is a peculiar fact that there are few
] candidates for the other places on the
ticket. John ID. DeGoley of Mt. Gllead is
| announced as a candidate for the nominal
| ton for attorney general, and A. X. Brown
of Cincinnati has the Endorsement of the
| people of his county for the same place en-
| the ticket. John p Spriggs of Monroe
| county is a candidate for the nomination
| for supreme Judge, c. A. Spenny of this
city for state treasurer, and Myron f.
| Hard of Salem for commissioner of common
schools. No name has been suggested so
| far for either lieutenant governor or MEM
| Der Of the state board of public works. 1t
seems to be the general opinion that the
formation Of the rest of the ticket will de-
pend entirely upon the selection for the
| head of the ticket. Probably the rest OF
| the ticket will be made up from the de-