The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-08-01
WHO FOR
GOVERNOR (?
The NOrwalk Experiment Be-
lieves Rice to Be the Man,
AND HE SHOULD BE CHOSEN.
The Reasons For His Nomination Are
Given In the Editorial Columns
of That Paper of
Recent Date.
(Norwalk Experiment.) }

(Norwalk Experiment,)
There Is degree OF heat developing
ing in the Democratic party over the
nomination for governor that seems to
us unnecessary and dangerous to the.
success of the party. The fight started
in Columbus, which has been storm
center in several campaigns, and Kill
bourne and Lentz seem to have fought
to o finish. Lentz has since transferred
his allegiance, and apparently all the
bitterness of feeling, to the support oil
Mclean. Kilbourne and Mclean are
recognized as the leading candidates,
are evenly matched, and are waging a
war of determination against each
other.
The Experiment regards Kilbourne
as a man any party could be proud OF
as leader. We do not believe there
Is in the Republican ranks today a
man who can equal him In the force
OF character he displays, his fine exec
utive ability, and the universal conf
dence all people have In him. We
would not shed bitter tears over the
nomination of Mclean, and we take no
stock In the cry OF "alien" raised
against him. He Is leader OF pre-
eminent ability, veteran in the SER
vice of Democracy, and would make
one OF the grandest governors Ohio
has ever had. But the nomination OF
either means continuance OF the old
feud of which the Democratic party Is
heartily sick. Though neither candi-
date countenances it, their followers
have taken it up, and there are daily
published threats from leading Demo
Gratis that the nomination OF one or the
other Of these will compel them to bolt
the ticket.
Absolute unity is needed for Demo
cratic success, but If, in spite OF the
jealousies OF the opposing camps, one
of these candidates Is nominated and
elected, the smoldering flames will
burst out in torrent OF fire when 1t
comes to dividing the spoils. One fac
tion will get it all; the other will have
to be content with getting very mad
and raising a row on every occasion
Victory, under such circumstances,
would be more fatal to party organiza'
tion and unity than defeat.
Canton furnishes ray Of light that
grows brighter as the day OF the con-
vention approaches. Mayor Rice is
the peer OF either of the leaders in the
race, and his personality has not one
tone of discord. Factions would weld
into perfect whole at once under his
leadership. He has not mixed in the
slightest degree in any factional fight
and the Democrats of the McLean-Kil
bourne camps could rally around his
standard with perfect equality, without
the slightest feeling OF disappointment
to rankle, feeling that recognition after
election would not be confined to the
one camp. The party needs unity more
than candidate, but they can have
both with Rice for leader.
An old man, or one well along IL
years, when assuming the leadership o
a party, seldom carries the vigor anC
eternal vigilance into his leadership tt
be long effective. He adds dignity ant
honor, oftentimes, but his personal in
fiuence dies with his weakening ply
sical and mental powers, and the part.
has lost rather than gained when hi
influence is gone. Not so with young
and vigorous leader, and that is wha
the Democracy of Ohio has needed TO-
years. We want man whose person
ality means as much to the Ohio or
ganization as that OF Bryan does to th
national. We want man who will
throw his whole soul and ever.
ambition he has into uniting
the party, directing its efforts
arousing it to constant activity, ant
everlastingly and untiringly keeping
on guard with every faculty alert Fo
years such leader has been all tina
we have needed to throw the balanc
from the side of defeat to that of vic
tory. We have almost won repeated
without such leader, and by tina
token, victory would become perma
nent with him.
The public career of Mayor Ric
marks him as such man, and the &C
tivity and success OF the Canton Dem
ocracy, in 1895 and since, handicappe
by local pride over the fact that 1t ha
been made the Mecca of Republica
pilgrimage, shows, that, as leader, h
can be trusted. 1t is the one elemen
not shared by any other candidate tina
marks him as the man OF the hour.