The Savannah morning news., 1903-09-28
HANNA CAN'T DEBATE
DICK DECLINES TO ACCEPT
CLARkE'S CHALLENGE.
ASKS WHERE CLARKE STANDS.
THINKS THERE'S ROOM FOR DE-
BATE AMONG DEMOCRATS.

Says Hanna Has But One Set OF
Principles While Those of CIarIke'R
Party Run the Gamut from Doc
trine TO DOgma-Hanna stands Pat
and When Clarke Has Party That
stands Pat Anything Debate
Can BE Arranged, Dick Says.
Columbus, o.. Sept 27.-The reply OF
Chairman Dick, of the Republican
State Committee to Chairman Salea,
of the Democratic State Committee,
declining the challenge of John II.
Clarke, Democratic nominee for Unite
States senator, to a joint debate with
Senator NJ. A. Hanna, was given out
tonight.
Chairman Dick says in part: Il re-
greet that candor compels me to say
that l find some rather serious object
ions to the conditions of your proposal
There ought to be some such quality
as mutually in a joint discussion. l
fear you have overlooked that phase
of the case. Let me particularize.
Mr.. Hanna's party has but one set OF
principles, while Mr.. Clarke's party has
vast assortment of principles, sound
ing the entire gamut from doctrine to
dogma-Demoeratic, Populistic, Agra
rian and Socialistic.
There is the tariff How does Mr..
Clarke stand on that issue? His party
stands all over It. In New England
1t is for free raw material and for o.
tected finished products-in Texas, it
is for protected raw material and for
free finished products. Is Mr.. Clarke
a German tariff Democrat or a Johnson
no-tariff Democrat? If he favors any
kind of a tariff let him debate with Mr..
Johnson who is an absolute free trader.
Mr.. Clarke has all these strings
to his bow, and more, too.
What chance does Mr.. Hanna, who
has only one string to his bow. have
in disputation with such a man? Mr..
Hanna stands pat. When Mr.. Clarke
joins party that stands pat on any
thing, Mr.. Hanna will talk with him.
Then there is the coinage question.
How does Mr.. Clarke stand on that?
The absolution Mr. Bryan gave him
would argue that he is not a stand
patter. Indeed, Mr.. Bryan says he is
not. Then IL Mr.. Clarke is really on
the Kansas City platform and is bound
to have a debate with somebody let
him hunt up the Palmer and Buckner
platform and debate with that. IT, on
the other hand, he is still gold bug
he has no quarrel with Mr. Hanna on
that score
"The, Republican. state platform de-
clares that every one of the war amend
ments is binding in honor upon every
American, citizen. Where does Mr.
Clarke stand on the war amendments?'
Does he believe in them or will he
favor their repeal? Does he favor the
white supremacy plan lately adopted
by the Maryland Democratic State
Convention, with it's poorly concealed
threat to entirely suppress the colored
vote? Is he in harmony with Senator
Tillman, who has boosted that when
ever colored voters attempt to exercise
the elective franchise in South Carolina,
he will meet the attempt with shot
gun? If elected to the Senate, will Mr..
Clarke join with his colleague from
Tennessee, Mr.. Carmack, and vote for
his resolution to repeal the fifteenth
amendment? Is MIR. Clarke willing to
explain his position on these vital ques-
tions?
where does Mr.. Clarke stand on the
Philippine question?
Does Mr.. Clarke side with the East
ern Democrats, the reorganizers?' De-
mocracy to-day wears so many colors,
appears under so many different shapes
and forms. assumes so many DISCUSSES,
that / feel 1t would be unfair to Sena-
tor Hanna to ask him to meet Mr..
Clarke in a joint discussion until he
is advised fully as to Mr.. Clarkes po-
sition on the subjects above alluded to,
until he learns what particular brand
of Democracy Mr.. Clarke claims is his;
until he knows whether he is expect
ed to debate with Mr.. Clarke, the COR
poration LAWYER or Mr.. Clarke, the cam
didate for United States senator"