The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-12-13
NOT A,SPLIT IN THE PARTY. 4,
But, A SCRAMBLE FOR SpOILS
Some Lessons the Ohio Democrats Con
Learn from Study Of the Present
Situation at Columbus.

Situation at Columbus.
BY Der z. WILLIAMSON.
(stan Correspondent)
Columbus, Dec. 10.-In the corridors
of the Neil, which is state political
headquarters and where one hears
many things worth hearing and many
things that are not, the sole
topic is the alleged war between Sena-
tor Hanna and Senator Foraker. There
is quarrel among the supporters Of
these senators over a variety OF little
legislative favors. That this quarrel
extends to the big chiefs in all it har-
rowing details is not SO certain.
Some profess to see in these contests
for legislative offices, breach in the
Republican party in Ohio that is to re-
suit in the confusion of all candidates
that come up in the future. They have
visions of Hanna flying at the throat
of Foraker and Foraker twisting the
keen blade beneath the hide Of the
Cleveland friend of Mckinley, but
whatever may come of 1t, the struggle
has taken on no such proportions yet.
Those who have witnessed these quar-.
rels in the Republican ranks in the
past will think twice before they decide
to run for Office on any other than the
Republican ticket, in Ohio, unless they
expect the Democrats to make some
changes in their methods of procedure
in convention and during the cam
paign. The Democrats in Ohio are not
going to win because of Republican
quarrels. That has been demonstrated
very clearly in the past and needs no
enlargement here. 1t is history that
every time the Republicans got into
struggle that was touted to mean
the death of the party, the Democrats
got licked little harder that year
than they had been licked the year pre-
vious. The cause was that the Demo-
Gratis failed to take advantage of Re-
publican disaffection in the proper way
but went on alternating a great mass of
Democratic voters, while depending on
a few disgruntled Republicans to furn-
ish the odd tens of thousands they
needed to get up to where they could
get horizontal glimpse of any Of the
prizes.
There was, for instance, a great fight
against Nash this year. The Demo
Gratis depended upon so many Republi-
can votes that they neglected to take
care of their own, with the result
that 1t requires the services of a spec
ial commission in many districts in
the state, to discover If any Demo-
Gratis were really running.
In other words, the fight between
two factions of the Republican party
just now may be considered very
pretty one, but it cannot be considered
in the light of a bureau that issues
passports to Democrats, to be used at
the next general election to get into
office. 1t has the appearance of bat
tie between Hanna and Foraker. 1t is,
however, fight between some of the
friends of those worthless, for recognt-
tion and srolls. So the Democrats of
the state will be wise If they do not
place too much dependence in this fac
tional trouble and prepare to cash any
of it in next year in the way OF emoi-
uments. OHIO is not going to be re-
claimed that way. More vii. be done
to reclaim It during the session Of the
legislature, than in the preliminary
struggle for some of the empty honors.
Democrats throughout the state can
help their representatives to bring the
taxation question to the fore, to refe-
gate such issues as are no longer Is
sues, without committing assault and
battery on those that yet feel they
are the only true and nving issues
that ever were and because they were
once an issue they are always an is
sue. The repudiation of an entire plat
form that had lot of good things In
It, just to get rid of an issue or. typ
that no longer had such merit as 70
make It an immediate issue, Is one Of
the errors that might be corrected In
the future. The silver question will
not carry Ohio under the present in
dustrial and monetary conditions. But
neither will 1t carry Ohio to take the
thing up by the tail and cut its throat
in the presence of the audience. Some
sense in the treatment of the question
will have to be employed, along with
a tolerance that suggests that every
man has a right to his honest notions
about things, whether his notions are
right or not.
So at Democratic firesides this win
ter the cat fightthat Is now being pull
ed off in Columbus ought not to be the
absorbing topic. It may be simply AL
len c. Thurman's idea of propagation.
The real fight Of the coming session
Of the legislature will be the fight
Of the people against the great cor
porations that hold public franchises,
to compel them to pay their just share
of the burdens of taxation. Efforts to
mislead the people in other ma .ers are
but harbingers Of that coming strug-
gle. It is said that George b. Cox,
and his fifty-year franchise friends are
really the fellows who are endeavor-
ing to organize the legislature contrary
to the wishes of that other franchise
holder and grant getter, Mr.. Hanna.
Whichever side wins gets the largest
plum, when the spoils are distributed.
1t Is merely an effort to place partic-
ular friends where they will get the