The evening times., 1899-10-17
TUESDAY. OCTOBER II, 1899.
The Ohio Campaign.

The Ohio Campaign.
When Mr.. Mckinley decided to throw his |
record as a civil service reformer to the |
winds, and TO ignore the promises and |
pledges he had made, both as an individual
and as Chief Magistrate OF the Nation, to
support and extend the merit system;
when. in short, he abandoned his position
Of many years standing in that connection,
and committed himself definitely to the
old and obnoxious system of nePotism and
spoils in the public service, his action was
sufficient notice to the country that, in
his future efforts 10 succeed himself in
1900. his Administration and party organ
ization would consider no method OF Hanna
politics TOO despicable to resort to in the
interests of success.
Therefore, no one has any right TO be
surprised that the campaign in Ohio this
year, on the Republican side, is being con-
Quoted with every incident of the illegi-
timacy and outrage that marked the Presi-
dental struggle of 1886 under the brutal
and Satanic generalship Of Marcus Alonzo
Hanna Under other conditions it might
astonish our citizenship to see the Repub-
Iican State committee OF Ohio impudently
issue a circular TO all Federal officeholders
instructing them how to violate the law
concerning partisan political subscriptions
without incurring its penalties. But vot-
ers have become so Injured to the methods
OF the party now welding national power
through its dominating oligarchy, that the
so much as a matter of course that it ex-
cites but small criticism among the large
class of people who vote the Republican
ticket from habit or practically under in
structions from their employers. bankers,
or the officers c. corporations in which they
happen to be interested. The moral sense
of the country must indeed be decadent
when its citizens without distinction of
party do not rise in their wrath and de-
mand OF the Administration an immediate
and stern rebuke Of such fragrant crime
against the suffrage.
The sound business methods of the
Ohio political corruptionists do net stop
al blaclzmaiIing Government officials. We
have another illustration OF their methods
in the threatening speech of Senator
Hanna 10 his employees at Ashtabula yes
t2rday He warned them that if they ex-
pected TO have steady work they must
vote to support William Mckinley and
TIE Administration, for that meant a con-
tinuation OF good times" which he was
willing TO guarantee would last ten years
il he and the Republican party were kept
in pswer that long. OF course. he did not
tell the men that they would be discharged
ii caught voting against Hannaism, Alger-
ism, and Otisism, but his thousand or
more ore handlers understood the menace
intended to be conveyed in his words, and
as they are mostly Firms, Poles, and Ital-
ians. win no doubt vote as they are in
structed.
Incidentiy this coerciye step on the part
OF the Cleveland manipulation, indicates the
desperation of the Republican cause in the
Buckeye State. While he has always ia
vored the forcible control Of the labor ele-
ment in politics. this is the first time he
has ever consented to take personal hand
in applying the principle to his own work
men. Hanna has always sought to pose
as a kind and considerate employer, and
has hitherto avoided any appearance of CO.
ercion in his relations with his workmen.
But the same ground hog" conditions
which compelled the Honorable John
Hay to descend from the pinnacle of deco
rum and swim in the mud puddle of Ohio
politics with dear Mr. Dick" has made
it seem necessary TO Hanna, also, 10 sacIi-
Ace the remains of any standards of pro-
priety he may ever have maintained or
respected, either concretely or in the abb
stract. 1t is rather evident that the cam
paign scare this time is real one.