Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-01
NO JOINT DEBATES
-
dsGv
Chairman N pix Declines Mr..
salen'a|:ss.sg Challenge
IN OHIO aGAM PAIGN
REPUBLICAN ORATORS ouTc1Ass-
ED BY TILE DEMOCRATS.
They Have Begun to Ask Each Other
Embarrassing Questions-Lively
Meetings Expected.
IN OHIO Gam PAIGN

be no joint debates in the Ohio campaign
Chairman Dick has declined Chairman
Salen's proposition, for a joint debate be-
tween Senator Hanna and John H. Clarke,
and will no doubt also reject his second
proposition for a joint debate between the
candidates for governor-Myron T. Herrlck
and Tom l.. Johnson. Chairman Dicks
reasons for declining are many. and adrott-
ly put in his letter to Chairman Salem, but
the real reason is scarcely concealed 1t
is not that the republicans have the weaker
side of the proposition to maintain. but 1t
happens that their representatives are no
match for those on the democratic side in
the present instance. John H. Clarke Is
natural orator and man of conceded abil-
fty. Even If Senator Hanna were in perfect
health he could hardly be expected to ac-
quit himself creditably in debate with
Clarke before the average audience at q
political meeting j... -
Mayor johnson is not the orator that
Clarke is. but he is a public speaker Of long
experience, and perfectly at ease before any
audience. He is quick wtted and possesses
many of those necessary qualities in public
speaking which, though Of little value else
where, are sufficient to make a man sue
cess on the stump: Hesgets his audience in
a good humor by an occasional story, and
his frequent flashes Of wit command atten-
ton and keep his hearers en- rapport with
him. On the whole, the mayor has devel-
oped into a campaign speaker far above the
average. His .-oppoHent on the republican
ticket-Col. Herrick=-cannot make an I'M
prepared address. $50; far he has not at
tempted to speak in the campaign at all
without manuscript 1t would probably be
hazardous for him to attempt it. He is a
banker, and has been closely engaged in
that business all his life He has never
held public office of any kind and has never
been called upon to act as public speaker.
OF course, he could not meet Johnson on
equal terms.
Will Drop~the Matter.
Chairman Salem will hardly carry the
matter of joint debates further. The can
didate of the republicans for lieutenant
governor, Senator Warren G. Harding, is
an orator Of no mean ability, while the
democratic candidate for that Office Frank
B. Miles, Is slow. Df speech and of little eX
perience pubic speaker. So far he has
taken no part In. thsI stump work Of the
campaign. A challenge to Harding to de-
bate with Niles would probably be accepted.
1t certainly would If the matter were left
to Harding to decide; but Chairman Dick
might decide to follow bne rule in the mat
ter and reject them ALL
In his letter proposing the joint debate
with Col. Herricf9 Chairman Salem touched
upon a very livel1o question, and one
that the repubMcansIncan not afford to
ignore. He alluded tor the combination of
the coal roads oand CDal mines in Ohio,
which last winter sent the price of coal SO
high that Gov. Nash called upon the attorney
general of the stHee to bring suit to break it
up and he did SO, THE combination seems
to be in working trim again. and Mr.. Salem
suggested that 1T 0might be necessary to
take similar action again. Col. Herrick he
said. was known to- be director in the
chief coal road-lthe hooking Valley-and
suggested the possible embarrassment 1t
might cause MIN Dsffou1d there be a popular
demand upon him as governor to order the
tn hrip inst i'm.
self as such director to drive him and as
sociates out of the unlawful combination.
The reference struck such q tender spot
that while Col. Herrick left the matter Of
the challenge to be answered by Col. Dick
on his return to the city, he lost no time in
answering Chairman Salem on this point, in
a public way, to the effect that he was not
now director in the Hooking Valley.
In opening the political fight each party is
plainly trying to draw the other upon
battlefield of its own choosing Mayor
Johnson wants the battle fought on state
issues. Evasion of taxes by large corpora
tons, especially the railroads. enormous
compensation to county officials under the
fee system; giving away street franchises,
and permitting holders to charge high rates
for public service and the free pass system
| are a few Of the principal present wrongs
| against which he inveighs. Chairman Dick
insists that inasmuch as the candidates rep
resent parties. it is fair-in fact, 1t is nee
essary-to base the contest primarily upon
those chief political principles for which the
respective parties stand. He regrets that
| the democrats are so widely "at sea" as to
| what democracy means. To be republican
means the same thing on the Penobscot that
| 1t does on the Rio Grande He would like
| to be obliging, but to shape the fight in Ohio
| to a particular kind of democracy would be
| impracticable, for there are many kinds
| even in Ohio. And since the Ohio contest
| has so intimate a bearing upon the coming
national contest Of next year 1T would be
unfair to the republican national organiza-
| ton to change the line OF battle In this state
What the Future May Develop.
1t is probable, however, that each side will
compel the other to move little further out
on the undesirable ground. Johnson is max
| ing some thrusts at Herrick along state is
sues that Herrick will ignore to his own dis
advantage. and Herrick is putting Johnson
| and Clarke in a ridiculous light on the ques-
| ton of free silver coinage and the indorse-
ment of 1t by the democratic state platform.
They cannot afford to ignore what he says
along this line long, and they will not.
Cleveland is displacing the capital city
as the political storm center In this cam
! paign, because Of the fact that the princi-
Senator Hanna, Colonel Herrick. Mayor
| Johnson and John H. Clarke are all Cleve-
| land men While both the republican and
| democratic state headquarters are main
| tanned here as usual. both Senator Hanna
and Mayor Johnson have private headquar-
ters at Cleveland. From his Headquarters
| there Senator Hanna is paying special at
| tention to the Legislative elections. Mayor
Johnson will intrust the a use Of his private
| and the considerable sum that he Is putting
into the election Is being used from his
| usual hard pushed for funds, and the finan-
cial committee Was fl session here this
week 1t was announced that the cam
paign fund. including the $1,000 contribu.
ton Of John w A9okTT ahs was exhaust ,
burden to bear alope from now on.
| Judgment may be made as to what work
| the republicans propose to do on the stump
| in the next thirty days from the following
partial list Of able sneakers who are al
Representative ,Ha; G. TAdams Wisconsin:
Senator J. c; Burrows, Michigan; Senator
J. A. Bede. Minnesota Representative E.
J. Burkett. Nebraska; Representative Spen-
| Ger Blackburn Pennsy4 yapia :; Representa-
tive H. s. BoutelB Illinois: Senator NJ. E.
Camp, Minnesota; Frank Collins Nebras-
| 10 Sonator M CullOm 1llinoiS. Capo for