The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-10

through one of the members of the com
6naen rn wh0 as pen trying to get apnG away
this member, until it was decided to accom-
modate them Accordingly an interview
was arranged for in a certain room in a
certain hotel but in advance the precaution
had been taken by the member to conceal
| a stenographer in the room, who took down
every word of the interview, an important
part of which was an offer of 5000 cash
against Senator Hanna Just what use will
be made cf the stenographer's notes will
be be governed, by the course of the anti
1t is stated on good authority that the
above case became known to the opposition
soon after their organ made a sensational
publication about the grand jury being
called or to investigate the action of sew
eral workers for Hanna. At any rate, there
has been nothing said about the grand jury
work since last Wednesday. The notes of
the secreted stenographer have been written
out, and they comprise several pages of
matter, which is in the possession of a very
prominent Republican. The two men who
are accused of offering 5000 are as well
known in Ohio politics as either the senior
or the junior senator or the Governor One
of them holds an important state office, and
the other has been an important official and
| leader in this city These two prominent
workers against Hanna were not the ones
| in the room with the member of the Legis-
| lature and his concealed stenographer but
| they sent their man to the legislators room
and when the member insisted on knowing
who authorized the offer, the names of
| these two prominent parties were named.
authorizing the offer of $1,000.
The Democratic steering committee re-
ported to Mr.. Kurtz this afternoon that II
dissenting Republicans will hold out before
IT can give him guarantee of the solid
Democratic vote of sixty-hve. 1t is said
| that the Democratic steering committee
finally gave Mr.. Kurtz until Monday mid.
night to produce affidavits from at least
eight Republican members that they would
claim that Mr. Kurtz cannot secure the
requisite number of affdavits and that the
contest will be over Monday night.
Ex-Governor Charles Foster, who was
secretary of the treasury under Harrison,
arrived in the city tonight. He has been
considered as compromise candidate for
ly to Hanna, but he soon declared himself
for the senator under the existing circum-
stances and was in conference with the
senator soon after his arrival.
STATEMENT FROM HANNA MEN.
The following was given out tonight by the
Hanna men: Some recent developments
regarding the early history of the pres
ent senatorial campaign are especially per-
tinent to the present moment, because they
fully justify the course of those men who
are now asking to withdraw any agreement
which they may have made to support an
other than Senator Hanna. It is now known
that the plan to elect Governor Bushnell
or Mr.. Kurtz to the senatorship was de-
veloped Immediately after the appointment
of Mr. Hanna on March 4, and that before
the month of March had ended pledges in
behalf of Governor Bushnell being OBJ
tanned in various parts of the State from
men ambitious to become members Of the
Legislature. The managers who outlined
this plan knew who would be likely TO be
candidates for the nominations, and in
cases where it was possible to make COM
binat1ons with them, did SO, requiring the
candidates, in return for their support for
the nomination, to pledge themselves to vote
for Governor Bushnell for the Senate. 1t is
known that in a number of cases agree
ments of this kind were made in March and
April, long prior to the meeting of the state
and county conventions, which, when held,
declared unanimously for Senator Hanna.
That the existentg of these pledges thus
became matter of temporary embarrass-
ment to the men who had made them with
out the knowledge that the conventions
would declare for any individual, goes with
out saving but that their first duty after
accepting a nomination and election under
these circumstances, was to withdraw their
pledges made before these new conditions
arose is equally apparent. These pledges
We're made upon the supposition that the
election of senator would follow the usual
course and that each member would be en-
tirely free to vote for such individual and
candidate as his judgment might dictate.
When it developed later, however that both
the state and county conventions declared
unequivocally for a single individual the
men accepting nominations under these con-
ditions were placed in an entirely new po-
sition. Their first duty as Republicans was
to obey the mandate of the party or decline
to be it's representative.
1T is not surprising. then, in view of these
| facts that many men who made pledges
| prior to the action OF the state and county
| conventions have, voluntarily and with
frankness, which marks them as men of a
| high sense of honor, asked to be released
! from these promises. Indeed, honorable
men could not consistently do otherwise
and the only surprise IS that either of the
| men to whom these pledges were made
| should now expect or demand that they
| be kept. Every individual who thus pledged
| himself has, since doing so, been informed
his people desire and demand that he sup
| port Senator Hanna, and no other, and
! thus every one of them is not only justified
| in withdrawing that pledge, but in duty
! bound to do So"
It was learned tonight that the eight af-
| fidavits requested of Mr.. Kurtz are wanted
| for the purpose of holding the sixty-tve
| Democrats in line. There are some opposed
| to voting for any Republican for senator.
| their desire to vote for Congressman John
| j. Lentz Representative S. w. Cramer OF
| Paulding county, one or the slxty,tve Dem
| ocratic members, is very sick at his rooms
| and his physicians say he may not be able
| to be out for week or more. His vote will
| be needed to defeat Hanna, on the claims
| of the opposition tonight.
1t is understood that Governor Bushnell
| has declined to stand for senator for either
or both terms and that the present pro-
gramme is for Kurtz for both the long and
| the short terms for senator against Hanna.
While the gold-standard Democrats have
all along been opposing the coalition, the
ultra silver Democrats are the ones who
are now giving the combine" most trouble.
In connection with the bribery stories it
| is known that the stenographer's notes are
| in the possession of Hon. f. G. Rathbone,
! formerly assistant postmaster general un-
| der President Harrison, and one Of the
| Hanna managers in the present contest.
| Mr. George w Hull tonight gave out the
| following telegram which he received from
| ex-senator Calvin S. Brice under date of
saTeiegram received. Am taking no part
| in the Senatorial matter in Ohio and wish
| that distinctly understood I have no doubt
as to the duty of the Democratic members
| of the Legislature. The good of the party
and State will be best conserved by their
voting for a Democrat and not at any time
voting for Republican. This will preserve
the integrity of every Democrat and leave
the party in better position to go into fur
ther campaigns.
CALVIN s. BRICE."
DERICuED IN MINE