Evening star., 1903-10-08
ALL EYES ON JOHNSON
Cleveland Mayor Keeps Both
Parties Uneasy.
LUCAS COUNTY FUSION
GOLD DEMOCRATS SEEM TO BE
HOLDING ALooF.
Damper Thrown on Anti-Fee Argument
by Reports of the Mayors
Leutenants.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, October S.-Interest in
the state campaign is largely centered just
now in the progress Mayor Johnson is max
ing in his preliminary arrangements TO
carry Lucas county and secure demo-
cratic, or, rather, anti-Hanna delegation TO
the general assembly on the fusion plan
Some time ago Johnson succeeded in Sc
curing the consent of the democrats who
had been regularly nominated for the legis-
lature there to withdraw in the interest of
fusion; but there is quite strong element
in the democratic party there that is op-
posed to fusion in any form. They threaten
to bolt any such ticket, and Johnson must
placate them before a fusion movement
can be safely attempted The democratic
county convention appointed committee
to make any necessary changes in the
ticket and to act for the party on any
fusion plans proposed. The anti-fusionists
are now planning to capture the county
committee and force through resolution
resembling the fusion proposition, thus
blocking the game.
Johnsons plan is to nominate George
Fell democrat, for senator and John +.
Manton, democrat; James Pollock, republi-
can, and either Charles Bergman, a demo-
cratic Typographical Union man. or James
p. Eagan, a socialist member of that union,
for representatives.
Both the republicans and democrats are
uneasy about the result of the coming Sc
lection in the Hooking valley, the great coal
mining region of Ohio. State Senator s. l..
Patterson, chairman of the speakers bu-
reau of the republican state committee,
said yesterday that while he had no doubt
about the return of Senator Hanna as the
result of the legislative elections, the stu
n
such as to call for the closest attention.
He frankly admitted that the situation in
the Hooking valley was not what it ought
to be. The bureau will send some republi-
can miners of ability to speak there. The
democrats have Unexpectedly brought Clar
ence Darrow, the Chicago attorney, who
has represented the miners union in some
notable legislation, into the valley to speak
to them in the interest of Johnson and
Clarke.
Miners Not in Amiable Mood.
The miners are not in very amiable
mood just now, for the reason that they
are not getting full time in the mines.
They are getting the highest mining rates
that were ever paid in the valley, but the
operators claim that they cannot get the
cars for shipping the coal, and must limit
the output to the amount that the railways
can take away The democrats claim that
this is a subterfuge, and that the fact is
that the coal mines and coal roads are in
combination which maintains prices of coal
by thus limiting the output of coal What
ever the cause of 1t is, the fact remains
that while soft coal is scarce and high
priced in all the Ohio markets the miners
are permitted to work only about one-third
of the time. Their earnings are, therefore,
low, and the cost of living being unusually
high, the miners are dissatisfied.
The republican state committee has felt
reasonably sure that this county Franklin)
would elect republican members of the gen
eral assembly, but the closing down of the
local plant of the United States Steel Com
pany has added another uncertainty to the
situation. To all appearances the shut
down is indefinite one, and many of the
employees are leaving the city There are
about a thousand men employed at the
mill, most of whom are republicans.
local republican manager said today that
If the plant should remain idle until after
the election the effect would be disastrous
to the republicans of Franklin county.
Many similar shut-dOwns in iron industries
in the vicinity of Canton and Youngstown
are reported, and all of them give some
concern to the state republican leaders.
Gold Democrats Hold Aloof.
If Mayor Tom L. Johnson expected that,
with the nomination of John H. Clarke,
gold democrat, for United States senator,
the gold democrats, who withdrew from the
party in 1896, and have been holding aloof
ever since, would come trooping back into
the party, he must see his mistake by this
time. So far not a single prominent gold
democrat has announced himself for John
son and Clarke, or done anything in the
campaign that would indicate that he in
tended to vote the regular party ticket this
year In Cleveland Virgil p Kline and s.
H. Holding are opposing Johnson at least.
Curtis Mcbride of Mansfield, to whom the
democratic state committee sent an invita-
ton to speak in the campaign, replied that
he would give the committee three weeks Of
his time after November 4. Election day
falls on November 3. James P. Seward of
Mansfield, who was Cleveland elector in
1892 ignored the invitation sent to him.
John A. Mcmahon of Dayton, always prom
inent in democratic matters in Ohio before
1896 is inactive. Former Representative ].
H. Outhwait of this city went to Europe
early in the summer, and seems to be in no
hurry to get back to take part in the state
campaign.
but there are some still funnier details hap
pening all the time. When Johnson and
Clarke spoke here last week, the tent men
had just got the big tent up when the owner
of the lot on which it was placed ordered
1t removed. There had been some misun-
derstanding about getting his permission.
1t was growing dusk then. and the men
having been at work all day refused to
move it. When the situation was reported
to Johnson he replied Il don't blame them.
Get new force of men and move it. That
was done, and the evening meeting could
have been held on time If the containing
the chairs had not been sent to some other
town. Other seating arrangements were
made. and Mayor Johnson, coat off, worked
with his men getting the seats in place.
Then he mounted the platform and spoke
for nearly two hours.
Joke on John 81. Clarke.
John H. Clarke wished to make an argu-
ment in favor of the election Of United
States senators by direct vote of the people,
and introduced the subject by saying that
since the campaign began he had spoken to
audiences aggregating 10000 people, and he
had not yet found one man who opposed
that declaration Of the democratic plat
FORM He would like to know whether
there was any one present who opposed it.
If there was would the person please rise?
b. AS he paused a tall slim man, with a pa
triarchal beard and a shiny bald head,
slowly unlimbered himself to the extent of
about six feet in one of the front seats, and
solemnly stated that he was one. To the
inquiry as to what his name and address
were he said he was Mr.. Dooley-"Mr.
James Dooley of this city. sir" Then there
was an explosion of mirth, and this and the
unexpected discovery of a disputant on this
point SO disconnected Mr.. Clarke that he