Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-04
A HANNA STATEMENT.
Have Little Bearing ON the
Senatorial Contest.


Columbus. O.. Jan. s.-After long con-
ference of the Hanna managers tonight.
the following statement was given out from
the senator's headquarters:
while the failure of the Republicans to
organize the two houses of the legislature
was surprise and a matter of regret to
the supporters of Senator Hanna. they do
not believe that it has any bearing upon or
especial relation to the senatorship. The
members of the legislature were not
pledged or instructed by their constituents
in any way to vote for any individual as
officer of the legislature. In the case
of the sena atorship. the case is different.
'The state constitution declares-section
3-that the people have the right to as
semble together in a peaceful manner to
consult for their common good to instruct
their representatives and to petition the
general assembly for the redress of griev-
ances. The people have exercised their
privileges and right under the state con-
stitution by assembling in both county and
state conventions and declaring. with an
uneXampled unanimity. in favor of the
election of Senator Hanna to the senate.
The people of eighty-four of the eighty
eight counties declared in conventions as
sembled their desire that he be elected
senator by this general assembly which
has been to-day organized, and the state
convention SO declared unanimously. In
view of these facts and Of the general ex-
preston of public opinion since the cleo
ton. it IS felt that the action of to-day
should not and cannot be construed as
having any relation to the senatorial ques-
ton.
This matter must be decided by the Re-
publican members of the general assem-
bly,. who are pledged, both by the action
of the people they represent and by their
own statements and acts. to his support.
The election of Mr.. Hanna was made a
direct issue. not only before the state and
county conventions. but in the election last
November. in which his name and candi-
dacy was the leading issue.
THAT these conditions are recognized by
Republican members generally is shown by
the fact that already several of the men
who to-day voted against the nominee of
the Republican organization caucus have
voluntarily stated that they intend to vote
for Mr.. Hanna, and that they have from
the first considered the question of his
election as having no relation to. or bear
ing upon, the mere organization OF the
house. In the selection of officers of that
body, considerations entirely different from
those relating to the representation of Ohio
in the United States senate were consid-
cred, and the action of each member was
based upon these individual and local con-
siderations and questions.
In the case of the senatorship. the in
structiors of the county conventions: the
state conventions and the people them
selves, in the election, were all clearly and
with singular unanimity in favor of the
selection of Mr.. Hanna for the senator
ship, and il is not believed that the action
OF any man In determining his course as
to the support of candidates for officers
of the legislature can be assumed 10 be
an evidence of hostility to the man who
was indorsed for the senatorship with
greater unanimity than ever before in the
history of Ohio. or. probably, in the his
tory of the country.
Mr.. Hanna and his active supporters
fully and confidently believe that he will
receive the votes of the members of his
party when they are called upon to per-
form this special feature of the duties for
which they We're elected. 1t is not con-
sidered possible that any Republican in
the Ohio legislature will be willing to pur
sue course which would result In the
substitution in the United States senate
of a supporter of the dangerous doctrines
upon which the Democratic party based its
campaign of 1896 for the man who led the
Republicans to victory against that party
ard those principles. especially as that ac
ton would result in turning over to the
Democracy and the friends of free silver
the control of the senate during at least
one-half. if not all. of the term of Ohio's
Republican president, William Mckinley"