Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-04
THE ONO sExATonsHIP.


OF political interest until the senatorial
fight in that state shall have been set
tied. As the situation now presents
itself. IL is pretty well tangled up, end
the contest carries about as much uncer-
talnty as any similar contest that has
4 been on In years. Moreover, not IN years
has the administration been more har-
assea over a senatorial election.
The fight runs back many months. and
the administration has been in hard luck
and on the anxious bench regarding IL
ever since It commenced. When John
Sherman exchanged the senatorial toga
for the portfolio of Secretary Of State
II was pretty generally understood that
the old gentleman had been flattered irto
making the swap" in order to the open
ing of the road for the contamination OF
Mark Hannas highest ambition. which
was a seat In the United States Senate.
AS McKinleys Fidus Achates. chief cam
paign fund collector, director-general OF
the Republican honest-election bureau,
and all-'round boss in the matter of de-
bauching the electorate. Mark had
claim on the administration for assistance
in furthering his ambition that it would
have been base ingrstitude for Mckinley
to have ignored. Besides. the admins
tration and Mark were recognized as so
thoroughly one that the attainment by
the latter of his ambition was regarded
as involving a vindcation Of the former.
But the getting Of Sherman out Of the
way by no means rendered the road for
Hanna and the administration as smooth
as had been anticipated. The appoint
ment Of a United States senator to fill
sherman's seat pending the meeting of
the Ohio Legislature devolved upon Gov
ernor Bushnell, who. owing to the Fora
ker influence and the seductive buzzng
of the senatorial bee that was circulating
in his own bonnet, proved not TO be like
Barkis. Finally. however, Bushnell
yielded to the persuasion of the admins
tration and TO other considerations, and
Mark was duly appointed senator ad
interim.
The term for which Sherman was elect
ed expires March 8. 1892 and the present
Ohio Legislature elects for both the un-
expired term. terminating on that date,
and the full term. commencing March 4,
1889 AS soon as Hanna was appointed
senator ad interim, he set 10 work to
manipulate the return of a Legislature
that would give him Il lease upon both
terms and further "vindicate" the adj
ministration. AS is well known,
the campaign that followed was
anything but a vindication of either
Hanna or Mckinley. For the first time
in nearly half a century Sherman sulked
in his tent. Leading Republicans all
over the country who were under obliga-
tons to Mark and who had promised 10
aid him, were prevented from doing so
by "other pressing engagements" and
Foraker, the only prominent man of his
party in Ohio who took the stump for
him, proceeded in his speeches to damn
him with faint praise When the smoke
Of battle cleared away, it was found that
the Republicans had carried the state
on the popular vote by a beggarly ma
jority only, and that there was decided
doubt about Hannas being able to boss
the Legislature.
In the last ten days this doubt has
grown apace. Not only has the senate
rial bee started to buzz again in Bush
nelrs bonnet, but Bushnell openly de-
clares war upon Hanna's bossism. Sat
urday night the anti-Hanna Republicans
and the Democrats held a joint caucus
and nominated Mayor McKisson of
Cleveland, for the short term and Bush
nell for the long term, and last, but not
least, it is reported that to the end of
indicating the administration, Mark may
be thrown overheard. and William II.
Day, of Canton, "McKinley's trusted
friend" put forward as a compromise
candidate. AS there are still several un-
known quantities in the persons of men,
bers of the Legislature who are holding
Off it would be rash to predict that Han
mas political skill" and wealth of re-
source as a manipulation will not enable
him to pull through. But certain 1t is
that If he does win, his victory will be no
less a population of Hannaism and Nc
Kinleyism than was the result of the
last Ohio election. This will be the
popular verdict, strive as the admins
tration may TO put any other face on
the matter.