The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-03
A LARGE NUMBER OF OHIO RE-
PURLICANs DO NOT LOVE THE
= BOSS.
IE TRIED TO CRUSH THEM.
AND THEY ARE NOW TRYING TO
SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO AT
CRUSHING.
THE HOT FIGHT AT COLUMBUS.
Sc. +. Hall Turns His Lorgnette
Upon the Seething Politics of
the Buckeye State.

Special to the Globe.
, CINCINNATI, O., Jan. 2.-After Wis
dting Cleveland and Toledo watched
the old year out in the Queen City.
have made It my business at all Of
these points to talk with newspaper
men, business men and politicians, and
purpose without going into details to
summarize my conclusions.
The Republican party In Ohio, in
view Of the fact that the president
scomes from this state, is In g. very pre-
carious condition. I do not mean by
this that defeat is absolutely impend-
ing, but the condition is such that
there can be no victory which will not
DE in part a. defeat, owing to the sting
(which will remain.
Whether Hanna wins or loses, the
seeds of discord are already sown
(which will bear future fruit. When the
president Of the United States cannot
command the united support Of his
own party in his own state it signifies
y great deal. Mr.. McKinley's known
partisanshIp for Mr.. Hanna makes the
war on the latter a personal one upon
khe president.
While Mr. Hanna and his Heutenats
ARE unquestionably alarmed, they talk
t6ravely, but In my journeyings have
met quite a number of ardent friends
sof Mckinley and Hanna who are decid-
iedly nervous and admit their misgiv-
5ngs.
It seems, to be human nature for a
wealthy man to be arrogant and die
Material IN business affairs. Tt is the
Irule and Mr.. Hanna Is no exception
ito the rule. In business men will fire.
iquently submit to dictation, While
fgrinding their teeth in rage, because
their pecuniary interests make submis-
sion compulsory unless serious or ruin
lous losses are to be faced.
While Hanna has prospered In poll
hics during the short time he has made
That work a business, he lacks both
wisdom and experience. He seeks to
carry into politics the same dlctatoria1
spirit which has marked his business
career since he has acquired wealth.
BACKED by the support Of the presf-
dent, he has assumed to be a political
ljuggernaut, with all the crushing pow
FER of a stamp mill.
L His attempt to crush Mayor McKis-
fson, of Cleveland, and KurtZ, Of Co
Elumbus, show the inexperienced poll
itician. While neither may be q very
strong man per Sc, each has quite
strong following, and Hanna's war on
those two men was a formal notice that
every man who opposes him is to be
erushed. This notice enables an op-
position to be organized which, while
4 it may fail, will fight desperately for
self-preservation and leave permanent
scars on the party which will not heal.
OF course the Hanna men crack the
party whip and declare that he should
lbe chosen senator because he was the
Inonltnee of the Republican state con-
ivention, but in spite of this there are
seventeen members Of the legislature
ready to vote for some other Repuibll-
can If they can be sure of enough Dem
ocratic support to defeat him.
In 1914. Salmon P. Chase, Free Soiler,
was elected to the senate by adding the
Democratic vote to that of the thirteen
Free Sellers in the legislature. Chase
pledged himself to act with the Demo-
Gratis on questions other than slavery.
sThis historical fact is cited as an en-
coura cement for the opposition to Han
ma. An effort is being made to get the
Democrats to unite with the seventeen
;recalcitrants upon free silver Repubi-
can, who, while he may act with the
Republicans in other aspects, will be g.
pledged supporter Of the Chicago plat
form on the silver question.
The great difficulty the opposition to
Hanna has to encounter is lack of bod,
strong leadership. Charley Kurtz the
man whom Hanna deposed from the
craftsmanship of the state central COM
mittee, is his most active public oppo-
11ent, but he has personal grievances,
Tvhich always weaken a man as a po-
litical leader Mayor McKisson, of
Cleveland, occupies a similar position.
While [ believed it before, after spend
= ing few days in the Ohio atmosphere,
Oh no IN.
Foraker and Gov. Bushnell are both
working against Hanna, but their pow
err is weakened because they do not
dare to come out in the open. There
is not a single man, in or out of the
legislature, opposing Hanna, who is not
q friend of either Foraker or Bushnell
or both.
Both Foraker and Bushnell are afraid
to jeopardiZe their party standing by
an open fight against Hanna, though
both know that Hanna's success means
the throwing Of the whole power of
the administration against them for
their secret treachery and open cow
ardice. They will be damned if they
don't, and, as it is to be damnation
) anyway. they would make more manly
history by a bold dash. Defeat would
r only mean political death, and Hanna's
success means that for them, anyway
Gov Bushnell is the logical man to
defeat Hanna, just as Gov. Nelson. in
Minnesota, was the logical man to de-
feat Washburn. If he should become
bold enough to take the field, should
modify the views herein expressed.
Kurt Is wearing lightning rods all over
himself but he is not a strong con-
ductor Of electricity.
The army which Hanna has sum-
moned to his aid at Columbus, the
hotel space he has secured, the con-
slant shouting of the Mckinley organs
IN unison that his election Is assured,
afford, to my mind, the best evidence
of the alarm he really feels. The ad-