Evening star., 1901-04-10
MCLEAN AND JOHNSON
NEW DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE IN
STATE OF OHIO.
Former Wants to Be United States
Senator and johnson Anxious
to Be Governor.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
COLUMBUS, Ohio, April o, 1901.
Developments since the Ohio municipal
elections all indicate a combination between
Tom L. Johnson, mayor of Cleveland now,
and John r. Mclean, to control democratic
matters in Ohio this year johnson is
slated to be the candidate of the party
for governor and Mclean its candidate
for the senatorship, to succeed Senator
Foraker. As a part of this agreement, ap-
parently, Mr.. McLean's newspaper, the
Enquirer, has opened fire upon Colonel
James Kilburne of this city, the most dan
gerous opponent for the gubernatorial
nomination that Mayor Johnson has. OF
course, Mclean does not care for the
nomination for governor again. In fact, 1t
Is quite certain that If he should be nomi=
mated again. there would again be an in
dependent democratic candidate against
him. johnson has high political aspira-
tions. He would like to be the democratic
candidate for the presidency in 1904 and
believes the office of governor of Ohio
would be good stepping stone toward It.
The combination Is calculated to cause
some alarm to the republican leaders, for
1t means the use of a much larger amount
Of money In the campaign on the demo-
cratic side than they are accustomed to
have to cope with, and Ohio has now
large voting element with whom money is
d StfOhg 1nHuenCe IN the elections. BOtn
johnson and Mclean are very rich men.
Joe Miller, the lobbyist of the State
Liquor League. has proposed that the
breweries shall tax themselves cents per
barrel from now until election time-the
proceeds to be used in the aid Of the demo-
cratic candidates for the legislature. The
liquor dealers seem to assume that their
business will not be seriously interfered
with by the democrats. Such tax would
yield about s150,OO0.
These facts. added to the well-known re-
publican disaffection in the five large coun-
ties of Cuyahoga, Hamilton, Lucas, Frank
lin and Dayton, give the republicans no
tion that they are coming up against
hard proposition now, and that it is no sure
thing that they will carry the state, even
though the average republican majority In
Ohio for the last ten years exceeds 6O,OOO.
There was no municipal election in Gin
cinnati this year from which to judge the
political feeling, but the large German ele-
ment there is provoked because Governor
Nash stopped the Saengerfest prize fight.
With the saloon question up and a fusion
of the anti-Cox republicans with the demo-
Gratis Mclean would be very apt to land
Hamilton county in the democratic column.
McKisson republicans in Cleveland blame
the defeat of their candidate for mayor,
W. ]. Akers. upon the Hanna republicans.
They are now threatening to get even.
With Johnson on the democratic ticket it
would probably carry Cuyahoga county.
Governor Nash'S opposition to the Toledo
centennial, finally killing it, has made him
unpopular there. Should Golden Rule
Jones exert himself in behalf of the demo-
Gratis, as he probably WILL 1t might go
democratic too. Clark, the author Of the
local option bill. is a republican member Of
the house from Franklin county. and wants
another term. If the republicans nominate
him the liquor dealers will fight the ticket.
If they don't the Anti-Saloon League will
fight it. Montgomery county is never sure.
With these five counties the republicans
would control the legislature by over
seventy votes. If they lose them they
cannot control that body.