The Portland daily press., 1898-01-12
BATTLE RACES FIERCER
THAN EVER.
Charges and Counter Charges Of
Bribery Exchanged.
GRAND JURY MAY BE CALLED ON
TO CONSIDER THEM.

Several of the Combine Republicans
| Promise to Vote for Hanna If the Otis
Charges are Untrue-Democrats Issue
Statement Saying Hanna VIII Not be
Elected Today-Mayor nIcKisson's
Speech.
Columbus, january 1.-THE factional
warfare against Senator Hanna is not
over. 1t has least one day more or
charges and counter.charges. The light
has never been more bitter than today.
Senator Hanna received ~ votes today, a
majority of one.
The Senate voted 19 for McKisson and
| is for Hanna. The House stood Hanna,
Sc; MoKisson, 40; Wiley, 1; Warner, Il;
Lentz, 1, and one absent.
| The only absentee was Representative
Cramer, the Democratic ,Popuist member
from Paulding county, who is seriously
i'll. His physician stated tonight that he
could not possibly be present. The scatter
ing vote today for Lentz. Wiley and War
| ner was cast by Representatives Wiley,
Halet and Hess, all Democrats. II CraTer
had been present and all other Demo-
Gratis, McKisson's vote in the House
would have been 5S or still thyee short OF
a majority on that branch Of the legisla-
ture. With Hanna having majority OF
three in the House, McKisson having
| majority of two in the Senate, the char
will announce tomorrow that there was
no election today aud that a joint ballot
will be in order.
IF all the Senators and Representatives
are recorded on joint ballot tomorrow. us
they were recorded today on the respective
| ballots, Senator Hanna will have a ma
jority Of only one over all. But in bne
absence of Representative Cramer and IN
the event of some of the Democrats refus-
| ing to vote for McKisson, he is likely to
have larger majority. With the result
apparently hanging on the change Of
only one vote, the contest has continued
all night as it has for the past osWeeks.
The seven Republicans who refused to
vote for Hanna to-day have since signed
statements that they have burned their
| bridges behind them. Senator Burke,
eay they will vote for Hanna Ii the Otis
charges are proven to be untrue. Repre-
septatiyes Otis and Bramley however,
simply signed codicil to the statement
of the other Ave dissenters in which they
concur in asking for an Investigation,
| but they state that they will not vote FOR
| Hanna under any circumstances. While
the Bureaus of claims and charges are in
full operation tonight as usual there are
| also reports about the bri berry charges be-
| ing presented to the grand jury OF Hamli-
! ton and Franklin counties.
| The grand jurors are in session In ootn
OF these counties and there are reports TO-
night of efforts to secure indictments Pc
I fore tomorrow noon. While it is not like
| Iy that any indictment will be found, yet
| II is quite probable that there will be an
attempt in the legislature tomorrow to
make a dramatic scene on the bribery
charges.
| After being in conference all night the
Democratic caucus agreed on mayor
Robert E. McKisson of Cleveland as tne
only Republican proposed whom tney
would support for Senator.
| The Democratic caucuses were stormy
and long drawn out. 1t was found abso-
lutely Impossible to agree upon either
Gov. Bushnell or Charles l.. Kurtz. Both
names were considered and both were CIV
en- up as impracticable candidates.
| Then the names of Mayor Mck1sson
was suggested. The Democrats de-
manded to know whether Mr.. Mck1sson
was a free silver man. Not content
With the assurance of Myers and other
leaders of the fusion, they sent for NC
| Kisson, who made speech to the caua
cuses in which he said he said in SUBJ
| sance:
"Gentlemen-Publicly and before the
people l am and must be q Republican. n..
Fut assure you and pledge you thai IL
elected to the United States Senate by
this fusion l will stand upon the Chicago
platform. This pledge was satisfactory
and the caucuses declared fot Mckisson
for both the long and short terms.
Both branches of the legislature met at
10 q. N. The crowd pressed in on the
floors of both bodies, but as the intruders
were mostly persons OK prominence tne!
were allowed to remain.
AT 1910 q call of the House was Qe-
manded, so as to put al on record as pc,
ing present. The door were locked anu
the hall was quiet.
No business was transacted during the
first hour of the session. The Worhers t,l
of both sides were busily engaged III the
lobbics. Senator Hanna. Mayor IL clAls, i, ',
son. Mr.. Kurtz and other leaders kep6 up
the contest at the hotels.
The call of the House showed thai nc
preventative Cramer, Democratic NEIL
Der from Pauldin2 county. WAS tho only
absentee, and the sergeant at-arns W., W.
dispatched for him. Mr.. Cramer IS very
sick. His physician forbade his a.oen, W ~,
dance. but Mr.. Cramer requested " ~
carried to the hall of the House.
On tho first call, Dutton of Morgan NV ~
Manuel of Montgomery did not responu'
Int in
Quito large delegation went to the