The San Francisco call., 1898-01-07
OPPOSITION
 TO HANNA ON
 THE DEFENSE The Com bine's Conf dence Somewhat
 Shaken. Jeptha Gerard Will Re- ceive Votes on the
 First Ballot. . He Is a Millionaire of Cincinnati and a Radical Free
 Silver Man. DEMOCRATS URGED ON. Republicans Called to a Convention to Protest Against the Attenptto
 Defeat Hanna.
He Is a Millionaire of Cincinnati and a Radical Free
 Silver Man.
DEMOCRATS URGED ON
Republicans Called to 8 Convention to Protest Against the Attempt to
 Defeat Hanna.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 6-Conserva- tive estimates tonight place the Iegis- 1ative vote at 73 to 70 against Hanna The workers of the Senator claim T 2 votes and assurances of the necessary two additional votes and possibly four
 The opposition insists that Hanna will never have 70 votes on joint ballot and that they have gained two votes since the Legislature adjourned over till Monday. Before the chairmanships and preferred places and other patron age are disposed of the opposition say that Hanna's vote will be reduced con siderably below 70, which is now at least three short of enough to elect. . The opposition to Hanna consists of : the 65 Democratic members and 10 Re publican members.
 Included in the list of those support ing Hanna are Representatives Droste and Lane silver Republican fusionists from Cincinnati, who are counted on for Jeptha Gerard. The developments to-day indicated that Gerard would not only be voted for on the ballots for Senator, but that he might lead on the first ballot if the present efforts are successful to make him the free silver Republican candidate. Gerard Is one of the most wealthy men in Cincinnati and he has always been a radical free silver man.
 Representative James Joyce of Guernsey, who is included in the sev- enty votes claimed for Hanna, is con- . sidered as doubtful. The Hanna men claim that Jones of Stark, Redky of Highland Rutan of Carroll and Har- rison and Manuel of Montgomery, who are on the list of the opposition, are doubtful. The combine" workers were aggressive until the past day or two, when they not only had enough votes to defeat Hanna, but had also reached all the doubtful members. The opposition is now on the defensive , in keeping its majority in line. The E contest has settled down to a siege, in which the opposition holds the fort and the Hanna men are charging on the breastworks. With the organiza- tion of the Legislature, the admins tration and other uncovered ramparts the opposition feels well fortified. It is conceded that the opposition is well organized and drilled and also desper- ate in this fight. Ever since Kurtz was retired as State chairman by Hanna at the State convention in Toledo last June efforts have been 2 made to retire Hanna, and there will : be fight to finish on that issue. q, The talk about Senator Burke being in the doubtful list has about sub :: sided. He was slated for President : pro tenn. of the Senate by the opposi- . t1on, but as he was not present on ~ Monday to qualify Senator Thaddeus :. E. Crumley, Democrat, was elected :, President pro tenn. It transpires that Senator Crumley wrote out his resig- nation before his election, and 1t is in the hands of Senator Fink, the leader Z : of the Democratic side. Whenever Sen ator Burke is ready Senator Fink will :: present the resignation of Crumley as President pro tenn. and Burke will get the place.
 So far the opposition to Hanna is not :. only holding it's men well in line but = it has executed all the plans provided for previous to the caucuses of last .-: Saturday night. The opposition man agers say they are having no trouble to hold their men out against Hanna, but admit their trouble in finding any |. candidate for whom all the "boItine'' :: Republicans and Democrats will vote The "bolting" Republicans are unani- nous in declaring they cannot vote for any Democrat under the circum- stances for Senator. Enough Demo- cratic members to give the managers trouble and anxiety say that they do 7 not want to vote for Republican for Senator.
 < The solicitude of the "combine" on this issue is shown in an editorial leader in this evenings issue of the Democratic Press, the organ of the combined opposition to Senator Hanna, which says: "The Democratic members of the Legislature now have 4,, Iansr~ fn af A Hanna for the Senate, and the blame for a failure to do it will rest with thera. They can make no satisfactory explanation if they fail. Stupidity in such an emergency as the present IS as intolerable as guilt. Every Pepub- Hcan vote against Boxwell for Speaker was cast to show unfaltering oppoSi- ton to Hanna and has no other mean ing whatever. If so, the overthrow of .e Hanna can be accomplished by the same union of Bryan Democrats and Foraker Republicans that defeated Boxwell and elected Mason Speaker. How can this be brought about? Of . course Hanna cannot be elected so long as every Democrat and Foraker Republican is in his seat and refuses to vote for him. But if any of them remain away when the vote is being taken he may be elected Cor so de- clared) by less than a majority of all the members elected to the Assembly, To guard against this chance let every Democratic member be present when the ballots for Senator are taken.''
 A call was issued tonight by the Republican State executive committee TOT a. mass convention of Republicans ;' to be held in this city next Monday to protest against the attempt to defeat Senator Hanna.
 report was current tonight that a telegram had been received by the : pemocratlc leaders from John R. Nc 4 Lean requesting that his name he lrant :. out of the Senatorial matter and nre- ing the Democrats to agree upon a candidate for Senator to defeat MT.