Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-29
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.


when a traveller like myself refuses to be-
come excited over their recriminations.
That undefinable something which poets
feel and which men of public affairs call
1.-The situation" is bewildering. Nobody
holds the key. and it wouldn't matter, be-
cause a key would be of no account. 1t is
the kind of a situation where everybody
can enter through an open door and tumble
out of the windows. Then if he is hurt in
falling he can have the satisfaction Of
knowing that there vCs no back stairs by
which he could have slipped away. The
fight is of rough and t"'nble politics.
The trouble all comes from the biennial
habit of parties in Ohio They elect gov
ernor every two years A year or so ago
the republicans in NE state seemed so
strong that a nomination meant an cleo
ton. That encouraged candidates. nom
ination does not mean an election now. but
the chance is good enough to strer~then
the purpose of the factions 20 control the
nomination. Mixed in the contest for the
state offices are the Old sentiments crow
Ing ont OF The Hanna sena: 1r'a election
but they are not the con rolling ones.
There was bound to be a Hanna ard an
anti-Iianna issue.
IIanna's Grip Weakening.
Whatever the outcome. the senator will
not have the grip on the machinery that he
obtained two years ago. Than he stood as
the representative of the national admins
tration, and few ambitious politicians would
permit themselves to be placed in antagon-
ism to him. Since that time he has achieved
the senatorship, but the offices have been
distributed and, as always happens, they
were not numerous enough to go round.
Moreover, there was not room for all the
ambitions which sprang up in the Hanna
camp, and it came about that the two lead
ing candidates for governor drew out of
that camp, each seeking to create the i'm
preston that he had the senator's favor
They were H. NJ. Daugherty, a represent
tatve of the young, aggressive element,
and Geo. K. Nash, who Travelled in
slower coach with the old standbys. Daugh-
erty is from the southern part Of the state
and is chairman of the central committee.
Nash was chairman Of the state executive
committee, and lives in Columbus. So both
men had experience in campaign manage
ment as representatives of the Hanna
forces In these circumstances apparently
there was nothing to do except for the
senator to remain neutral. His friends say
he did keep out. The Daugherty faction
claimed they had early evidence of Hanna's
leaning to Nash Whether they did or not
the contest has gradually worked around to
the point where the candidacy Of Nash is
identified with Hanna. though thare are in
dividual delegations which are friendly to
the senator and yet are opposed to Nash.
These might in the end. force the taking
up of a new candidate.
In the matter of delegates. Daugherty
was dstancing Nash, His lead was so
great that 1t began to excite comment The
later conventions have been closing the
gap, so that Nash does not seem to be so
far behind his rival 1t is noticeable that
the county conventions in which Nash has
been getting the votes are uniformly de-
scribed as controlled by the followers of
Hanna. Wherever there Is a contest and
the Nash delegates are chosen, the result is
always described as victory for the Han
mates. This Is the significant thing that
makes unnece ssafy the disclaimers that the
senator has no preference.
kurtz-BushnelI Faction.
AS between Daugherty and Nash the con-
test would be interesting enough, but It's
possibilities rest a third and more I'M
certain element This is what is known as
the Kurtz-Bushnell faction. Kurtz is only
a minor figure In office, but the public an
probation of the real relations is shown in
the placing of his Lame ahead of that of
Governor Bushnell. A governor in Ohio
lacks the veto power and is a good deal of
q hgurehcad; yet the state has had some
chief executives whose names would not an
pear second in hyphenated political COM
binatiOn. Senator Foraker Is fortunate in
not having his name in the designation of
the faction.
The Kurtz-B Bushnell influence has for its
chief aim the weakening of Hanna's power
After the developments of the senatorial
election and the failure to defeat Hanna it
might be imagined that his opponents would
lose their mold This has not happened
The state patronage under the manipula-
tion of kurtZ has been very skillfully used
1t has given him and Governor Bushnell
lever which controls many county delega-
tons. Present state officeholders know that
their only chance of perpetuating them
selves is to make an arrangement with the
nominee for governor If they can name
the candidate by holding a small body of
delegates in hand till the critical time that
will be just good as to control ma jorty
of the delegates, which is far beyond their
power. Governor Bushnell has no personal
mr. N he ttaT If hiS
beyond making sure that an anti-Hanna
candidate is named. The counties whose
representatives opposed the senator in the
legislature are choosing anti-Hanna dele
cations to the state convention so there
does not seem to have been a shange in SEN
tim5nt
With Daugherty opposed by Hanna's fol-
lowers and with the KurtZ- Bushnell fac
ton determined above all things TO weaken
Hanna there ought no. to be much question
of Il combination, though these two ele-
mems have heretofore had nothing in COM
mon. This possibility is strenuously denied
by the interested parties. who claim to be
acting Independently. but it is 50 natural
that nobody heeds the denial The interests
of the KurtZ-Bushnell faction and of
Daugherty's supporters in keeping III Nash
and Hanna delegates from controlling the
organization of the convention may impeI
them to organize it jointly. of they have the
votes After that they may follow separate
ways for the Kurtz- Bushnell delegates are
rot credited with a purpose to support
bduSntFiy- organizing the convention
rests with the committee credentials, and
therein lies the uncertainty.
Committee Divided.
Having some elementary knowledge of
practical politics developed in making
up the roles of conventions So as to score
the first point, l asked one Of the Hanna
lieutenants how it happened that there
could be doubt this point. Two years
ago when Senator Hanna's power was at
the zenith he made about complete q
reorganization of the state central COM
mittee could be done. All but three or
four members of the other factions were
stricken out, including some of Senator
Foraker's friends, and his own followers
put in. The lieutenant explained it as a
case of too much trustfuiness You see."
he said, they took advantage of Mark
He knew they all wanted something. but
he didn't think they'd go back on him so
as to get it. Everybody was for Mckinley
and Mark then Now everybody's for him
self. For all we know those Kurtz and
Daugherty fellows may between them hold
majority of the committee, and they may
turn the first trick in naming the commit
tee on credentials. But we've got a trick
~-o1rr