Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-08-26
POLITICAL.

The preliminary meetings at Ooiuni-
bus, Ohio, yesterday afternoon and last
night, of the democratic state conyen-
ton, resulted in favor of Mayor Tom l..
Johnson, of Cleveland, In his contest
with John L. Zimmerman, of Spring
field, for the gubernatorial nomination.
The State central committee, which was
selected at Sandusky last year, met yes
terday and passed upon contests affect
ing las of the 500 delegates, in favor OF
the Johnson contestants. The johnson
men secured most of the members OF the
new state central committee, which
holds over until the State convention
next year, when delegates at large 10 the
democratic national convention will be
selected and an Endorsement be made for
the presidency.
Mayor johnson addressed the meetings
Of his home delegates, representing the
Twentieth and Twenty-frst districts of
Cleveland urging them to stand to the
last for John H.. Clarke for Senator. AT
the same time his home district refused
to indorse G. NJ. Saltzgaber for Senator,
but Saltzgaber was Endorsed by other dis
tricts. The result of the other district
meetings settled almost everything ex-
cept the senatorial Endorsement which Is
still badly mixed. The johnson men
claim to have carried II Of the 81 dis
tricts.
Many "old timers" were dropped yes
terday, among them being Col. John
Bolan, of Toledo, who has been a mem
Der of the State central committee for
the Ninth district for II years. L. G..
Bernard, of Cincinnati, Who'll been a
member of the committee for a quarter of
a century, is also slated to 60 after the
permanent organization is perfected to-
day.
A dispatch from Saratoga says that
friends of David B. Hill, at present the
acknowledged leader of the democratic
organization in New York State, are
disturbed over a reported plan to prevent
the election of Hill as one of the "big
FOUR from that State to the national
convention next year. Reports of a
systematic plan to side track Hill have
been current in Saratoga for several
DAYS, but it was not until yesterday that
anything definite could be learned about
the programme of Mr.. Hill's enemies.
The Ex-Governor has been one of New
York's, "big four" at every national
convention since he became Governor in
1885. In view of his present leadership
of the State organization, it has been as
sumed that Mr.. Hill next year would
again be chosen as one of the delegates
at-large. 1t is too early to predict that
the plan to sidetrack Mr.. Hill can be
successfully carried out, but the men
who are at the back Of it believe they
can succeed.
When it was announced from Troy
the other day that ex-senator Edward
Murphy, jr., had decided to re-enter
politics the news caused much surprise
in the Hill camp. 1t is explained that
Mr.. Murphy's action is the first step in
a well-formulated plan tooverturn Hills
leadership and to prevent Hill from go
ing to the national convention next year
as one of the States delegates-at-large.
Following the announcement of the
Murphy plan has come the news that
Smith NJ. Weed, the democratic leader
in Clinton county; the Herrick faction
in Albany county, and DIR. John P. Con-
way, democratic leader in Cayuga coun-
ty, are already at work to send anti-Hill
delegates to the democratic State con-
vention next spring, All these leaders
are especially bitter toward Mr.. Hill be-
cause Of the fact that at the State con-
vention at Saratoga last fall he had their
delegates thrown out and Hill delegates
substituted.