Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-10
ALL QUIET IN OHIO
Buckeye State Not a Factor
in Campaign.
rs SAFE REPUBLICAN,
DEMOCRATIC FACTIONS SEEM TO
BE IN HARMONY.
johnson and Mclean Apparently Have
Patched Up Differences
Dick is Confident.
rs SAFE REPUBLICAN
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

CLEVELAND, Ohio October 8. 1904.
Unless the unforeseen happens this fall
will witness the quietest campaign that the
state of Ohio has seen In many years.
Two things will make it so, the fact that
Ohio Is certainly republican in presidential
years and the unusual condition In which
the buckeye state finds itself. For the first
time in many years Ohio takes a minor
place in the political fight.
In the last two presidential campaigns
Ohio was a battle-ground by virtue of it's
being the home of the candidate, but the
death of Senator Hanna removed all
chances that this state ever had of holding
that honor this year, and it also destroyed
all the interest that being the home Of
the national chairman might have aroused.
Men who have been travelling extensively
over the state for the past few weeks say
they would not know campaign was on
If they did not read the newspapers. No
one is talking politics and what is more,
one cares to talk it.
The general opinion is that Ohio will give
Roosevelt 10000 republican and bets are
made that 1t will be over that. Chairman
Dick says 1t will be 10000 and his estimates
are usually very nearly correct. The two
parties opened their state campaigns last
Saturday and neither one was the success
that the leaders had hoped for At Warren
trict the republicans had good crowd, but
all the efforts of bands and speakers failed
to arouse the interest and enthusiasm that
was manifest In the Mckinley campaigns Or
even in the state campaign of year ago.
At Lima, where the democrats held their
opening, there was small attendance not
wfthstandfng the fact that the city is To-
Gated in the midst Of district thickly peo-
pied by democrats.
Both parties have arranged for numerous
speeches throughout the state, but there
will be few men Of note sent here by the ma
tional committee Of either party. Bryan Will
make couple of speeches in the state. as
will Hill, John Sharp Williams and a few
other noted spellbinders. but the democratic
committee will have to depend largely on
local talent.
johnson and Mclean.
The one thing that favors the democrats
this year is the apparent healing, tenn
porarily at least, Of the breach between
the Johnson and Mclean factions. There
appears to be harmony and 1t is said that
Mclean will come home from Washington
to put his shoulder to the wheel during tho
closing weeks of the campaign. If he does
1t will be the first time he has taken any
active part publicly since he ran for gov
ernor against Nash. Mayor Johnson will
be free lance speaker. making his own
dates, but his work will be largely con-
fined to this county. which he hopes to
carry, though it went republican by good
majority last fall. Johnson is said to be
laying his ropes for another term as mayor
and in the campaign which he has just
begun there are indications that he is work.
ing as much for his interests next fall as
for the ticket this year.
The republican national committee will
send such speakers as Taft and Cannon
here for a few speeches. while Foraker is
in such demand elsewhere that he can be
secured only for speeches in the largest
cities.
The democrats in Ohio promise to make
their fight more on local than on national
issues. The attitude Of Gov. Herrick to-
ward the saloon, the third-term aspirations
of Secretary of State Laylin and the mis-
takes of the recent legislature will be at
tackled, and sharp fight along these lines
may cut republican majorities, though it is
hard to see how they can affect general re-
suits unless 1t swings couple of closely
contested districts in the congressional
fight.
One of the warmest centers Of political
activity is likely to be Cuyahoga county
ON which the eyes of the country have been
placed during recent campaigns. This will
be largely due to Mayor Johnson, who has
already begun his peculiar tactics. Last
year his methods failed utterly and he went
down to bitter defeat for the first time
in several years, but Senator Hanna was
alive then and he was in command of the
republican forces here. Since his death no
one has arisen in this city or county able
to wear his mantle. and there have been
fractional chickering's among party leaders
that cannot fail to work some harm.
Mayor Johnson opened his campaign
Monday night when he got out his famous
tent and red devil automobile, which he
promises to keep pretty busy from now till
election day.
Sensational Charges.
In the very first speech he made he sprung
a sensation that has stirred up the repub-
leans ard may lead to some sensational
revelations. He boldly asserted that there
was in existence a conspiracy on the part
of certain public service corporations of
Cleveland to control the taxation of Cleve-
land so that these corporations could eyade
paying their just share of the taxes. The
city solicitor who spoke from the same plat
form reiterated the charges. Johnson went
even further and stated that these corpora
tons have packed the republican conven-
ton AMI secured the nomination of their
man for county auditor. This candidate has
come back denying the charge and demand
ing proof, which Mayor johnson asserts can
be givea by Collector of Customs Charles
Leach whose activity in politics has sew
eral times caused his enemies to make pro-
tests TO the federal authorities.
Johnson says he will make this issue Of
taxation d leading one and it Is likely to
cut considerable figure in this county,
where many persons are of the opinion that
the large corporations are not paying what
they should toward the defrayfng of the
country'S expense.
On the other hand the republicans have
ramed ope of the best tickets in many
years and in a county normally republican
by a safe margin they surely have a little
the best of the race at the starting post
One thing Is certain the election In Cuya-
hoga will be decided purely on local issues.
The republicans open their campaign Sat
urday e, ening, when Secretary Taft will
lrra "a N frpS
VIII be kept lighted.
Vienna, Va, and Vicinity.