The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-06-06
A POLITICAL BLUNDER.

Two years ago the Republican Gen.
tral Committee of Logan county called
a delegate convention and elected dele
gates to the State Convention according
to the call of the State Central Com
mittee.
The Republican Executive Committee
called a mass convention and also ap-
pointed delegates to the State Conven-
tion.
Both conventions eleced delegates to
the Senatorial Convention.
At Toledo, the delegation from Logan
county selected by the county delegate
convention was thrown out because its
opponents said it was anti-Hanna; yet
there was not man on it who opposed
or expected to oppose Hanna's election
to the Senate. Such men as Judge
West and Mr.. Howenstine were
trampled under foot without any regard
to their rights
At the Senatorial Convention, at
Kenton, 1t was the same way. The
conventions own committee on creden-
tials reported in favor of the delegates
that had been selected by the conven-
tion that sent Judge West to Toledo,
and the Hanna element in this same
Kenton convention, that had secured a
majority by the basest treachery of the
candidate for Senator, repudiated the
report of their own committee, and
seated the rings delegates from Logan
county.
The next year, the Republicans OF
Logan county repudiated the ring,
endorsed the action of the Central Com
mittee, repudiated the Executive Com
mittee, repudiated mass conventions,
and made the Executive Committee the
creature OF the Central Committee.
This year another State Convention
was to be held, and solid delegation
ought to have been sent from Logan
county opposed to Mr.. Hanna's bossism
and i6 ought to have been the same
delegation that was kicked out at
Toledo. The Republicans of the county
had declared in favor of it, and the
fruits Of the victory belonged to the
majority. II Mr.. Hanna's crowd had
carried the county, everybody knows
that not an anti-Hanna man in the
county would have stood a ghost of a
show of getting on their delegation.
Not one of them would have expected
it, II there is one principle more than
another, that is a fundamental, in our
Government, it is the right Of the
majority to rule.
But Mr.. w. G. Huston, who had been
active in working against the gang"
assumed to act for the anti-Hanna
Republicans of the county. He had NO
authority from anybody. He was not a
member of the Central Committee or OF
the Executive Committee. But of his
own motion and of his own authority he
assumed to act for the anti-Hanna
Republicans Of the county. Under the
banner of ''peace!" he proclaimed an
amnesty, set up the delegate conven.
tion, and gave the whole anti-Hanna
side of the party, in Logan county,
away. He arranged to have a delega
ton sent to the State Convention al
Columbus, that would not represent
those who had been trampled under
foot at Toledo and Kenton, and in the
Loffer contest in Logan county, bu
that would be nearly half for Hanna
The result was that the men who fought
usurpation and Hannaism in Logar
county for two years, got TWO votes
out of the delegation and the candidates
inthe stute Convention who were the
friends of Hanna, got FIvEl
Such was the result of Mr.. HustOn'
self-assumed leadership that was carried
on under cover.
And what became of the ''peace" fol
which he was fighting? He compro
missed with the Hanna crowd by giving
them nearly half the delegation, ant
himself voted for Daugherty Ia Hann'
mani In the interest of peace, and the.
cast every vote he gave them, FOR TIL
HANNA CANDIDATE, and would hav
turned Mr.. Huston down II the.
could. And we don't blame them
A worse political blunder was neve
committed in the county.