The age-herald., 1898-01-05
MARK HANNA'S
 FIRST DEAD HEAT Heavy Track and Much Singing
 of Mud. GREAT OHIO HlPP0DR0ME Cleveland Nag Sired by Corruption, Damned by Thousands. WEIGHTED TOO HEAVILY TO WIN Sherman May Be Entered as the Dark
 Horse
Sherman May Be Entered as the Dark
 Horse
WHO HAS WON MANY TIMES BEFORE
Kurtz. the Bushnell Rider, Sanguine of Vic- tory When the Wire Is Reached, Though It Is a Long Race and
 Too Much Joci<eying.


 ture of Senator Hanna is certainly tonight in delicately poised balance. While there are now reported to be only nine dissent CTS among the eighty republican members, one in the senate and eight in the house, yet the really doubtful list is limited to two or three. Some of the dissenting re- publicans are not likely to ever be recon ciled to Senator Hanna. They have burned the bridges behind them and openly ad- init it.
 Representatives Griffith, of Union, and Joyce, of Guernsey, who voted with "the combine" on the organization of the house, stated today that they would vote for Senator Hanna. This gives Hanna fifty four in the house and seventeen in the senate, total of seventy-one, or two short of the necessary majority. Droste, of Hamilton, who voted for Boxwell for speaker, announced at the time that he would support Jeptha Gerard, silver re- publican, for senator so that the net gain for Hanna to date over the vote on the organization is only one.
 Counting Noses
 The Hanna men say they expect to get q tuc fOttS ocOtt Ol fultOu, ana Rutdn, of Carroll, who are instructed for Hanna, and voted with 'the combine' on the or ganization. On the other hand the com- bine managers say that Scott and Rutan will remain with them to a finish and that they expect to get Snyder, of Greene or Redkay of Highland, who voted for Box well for speaker. The doubtful members are being offered their choice of chair manships and given the opportunity to make all other selections they want. The power of the organization of the house is certainly being used to the greatest pos sible advantage and it's influence is not to be under-estimated in connection with the support of the state administration While MT. Kurtz and his associates will make no statements, yet they are holding back the appointments on the committees and other patronage in anticipation of gaining sev- eral votes on the senatorial ballot.
 Kicking Democrats
 In holding their men in line, "the con- bine" is having trouble with some of the 65 democratic members. It is believed Mayor McKisson will give way to MT. Kurtz for the short term for senator, while Gov. Bushnell has all along been regarded as the candidate for the long term Rep- resentative Wiley, of Wayne; Powell, of Morrow; Niles, of Lucas, and other rad ical free silver democrats, are not satisfied with kurtz and Bushnell, and if they are to vote for republicans they want them with pronounced silver records like that of Gerard and others that are named. Some of the democratic members insist that the breach is so wide and so deep now that some free silver democrat could be elected over Hanna. The announcement today by the republicans that they would have no joint senatorial caucus previous to the bal loting for senator will compel all to con tinue the Guerrilla warfare for another week, but with the result depending on the action of two or three doubtful mem- bers, neither side can show it's hand, ex- posing the recruits or the deserters to the terrific fire for at least a week. The steer- ing committees will try to have all mem- bers located before balloting begins.
 Next Tuesdays Battle
 The senate and the house will ballot sep arately next Tuesday for senator. The senate will stand 19 to IF against Hanna by Senator Burke voting with the demo- crats. The house, on Monday, stood 56 to 53. It is now 55 to 54 against Hanna This would settle the contest if "the combine'' in both houses commensurate, only one candidate against Hanna, and when the two houses meet on the following day, Wednesday, Jan. 12, to canvass in joint assembly the vote of the previous day as cast by each branch separately, there would be nothing to do except announce the total result as "A to Il against Hanna. But if Senator Hanna has not majority a week hence, 1t is doubtful whether any opponent will have it, and the general pre- diction is for deadlock, which may be continued for an indefinite period.
 In Desperate Straits
 "The combine, tonight is charging that Senator Hanna is in such desperate straits as to be forced to "swap horses, while crossing the stream, owing to the republi- cans deciding to hold no caucus. They also charge that he has been an nx-senator since the legislature met yesterday. As Senator Hanna was appointed when Sec retary Sherman went into the cabinet, ar-