Evening star., 1905-10-29
THE OHIO CAMPAIGN
Some of the Peculiar Charac-
teristics Indicated.
GOVERN ORSHIP FIGHT
BoSSISM DECLARED THE CHIEF
ISSUE IN CONTEST.
Feeling Strong Against Herrick in the
Rural Districts-The Anti
Saloon Influence.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

| Saloon Influence.
Special Correspondence Of The Star
| COLUMBUS, Ohio. October 2s 1905
| 1t has been sixteen years since a demo-
crat was elected to a state office I'm Ohio.
| and the average republican plurality in the
| last five years has exceeded 10000. The
! Roosevelt electoral ticket last year was
| given plurality exceeding $4,000 For the
reason that many election precincts have
| been changed since the election OF 1903.
| comparisons with the vote of that year. in
estimating the result from election returns
| on the night of the election. cannot be
! made. and last years vote must be used.
| On that basis Gov Herrick, the republican
candidate for governor. would have to lose
81 votes per precinct throughout the state
| to fan of election
Such a result seems wholly improbable
| first contemplation. The same conclusion
| would have been reached last year. how
| ever. If any one had suggested that Presi-
| dent Roosevelt might carry Ohio by over
25o,ooo. 1t would have been instantly dis
| missed as impossible But II happened.
| The present state campaign is very
| peculiar one The situation is new to Ohio
! politics. When indulging In speculation here
| as to the result of the state election IL is
not considered necessary to state that it
| concerns only the election OF governor.
Everybody comedies that the republicans
| VIII elect the rest OF their ticket by safe
| pluralities.
Bossism the Issue.
1t is true that bossism is a chief issue of
| the campaign. and that not only the demo-
| Gratis but many republicans are declaring
| that George B. Cox the Cincinnati boss
dictated all the nominations made by the
republican state convention. but Gov. Her
| rial,i is 10 ,f,-c tod bt-f
against whom there was any considerable
| opposition in the party.
| This sentiment will probably show also
| in the election returns in reduced vote for
| Wade H. Ellis, attorney general and can
| didate for reelection. for the reason that he
| is Cincinnati man and was proposed for
| the office of attorney general first by
| George B. Cox: but Ellis is I'm no danger
f! The judgment of the gamblers seems to
| be that Gov. Herrick Will be reelected The
| even betting in all the large cities seems
| to run around 5000 plurality for Herrick
If odds are given, bets on a still higher
| plurality can be secured. George B. Cox
himself is betting that Gov. Herrick Will
| have $1,000 plurality in the state. and that
| :O,000 of it will be given by Hamilton coun-
| ty alone. II is possible that much Of the
| inspiration for these bets by the sporting
| fraternity is gathered about the saloons.
| where the sentiment is almost unanimously
] for Gov. HerrIck.
Fought by Anti-Saloon League.
The fact that he is being tough; by the
Anti-saloon League would in itself be suf-
| fcient cause for support to him from this
| source. In such circles, however, one Is
| not likely to catch the force and sIgnih-
| canoe of the opposition to Gov. Herrick that
everywhere pervades business and indus
! trial circles and the agricultural districts.
| So strong and general Is the feeling
| against the governor In the rural districts
| that 1t seems certain that whatever plural
| ity he may secure must come from the
| large cities.
The Akron speech by Secretary Taft and
| It's effect on the campaign continues to be
| the main topic OF political discussion, and
| VIII, no doubt, to the end of the campaign
! lie Secretary evidently believed that his
| reference to George b. Cox. bossism and
| Gov Herrick would help the governor, in
| that he admitted CoX's bossism In Cincin-
| natl, but excluded the governor from all
| connection with it; but. i'm view of the fact
| that 1t is known of all men that the grow
| ing opposition to the nomination of the
| governor for second term pped in
| the bud by CoXs espousal of his cause, the
speech will rather serve as a reminder to
| the people Of the large part Cox played IN
| the republican state convention this wear
| and, in fact, If the large and growing fac
| tor he has become in the republican poll
| tics of the state
Fears Over Taft's Speech.
Pm Hamilton county too, its bad effects
| are feared by the republicans. No doubt
| George h. Cox VIII work just as hard to
| roll up big republican plurality there as
| he would have If Secretary Taft had not
| made an attack upon him in public
| speech, but there must be in Cincinnati a
great many high-minded republicans who.
| though they have been voting in support
| of the Cox organization for years. because
! of their helplessness to change matters
| have felt about it much as Secretary Taft
does, and Will probably be shaken OFF by
| this declaration of the Secretary from the
| support of the Cox nominees now.
1t is certain at least that they have IL
| direct from high authority in the party. If
not from President Roosevelt himself-as
| many In Ohio profess TO belieye-that
| it is not treason TO the party for a repub-
| lican TO bolt a ticket that is handed down
| to the voters by boss.
The notion that prevails quite generally
| in Ohio that the sentiments to bosssm
| that Secretary Taft expressed were really
those of the President may also lose
| votes for the republican state ticket. for
President Roosevelt is most popular with
the rank and file of Ohio republicans-and
indeed with men of all parties, his vote
last year indicates
Bossism Not a New Thing.
1t is true that bossism is not a new thing
in Ohio politics What was done this year
has been done time and again here. But
the people have been growing restless un-
der IT, and just now semblance of ma
tional issue is at stake to cause them TO
hesitate to scratch their tickets.
Nor has il been confined to the republican
| organization Limited to the opportunities
of a minority party. Tom l. Johnson has
repeatedly played The boss more completely
| than George Cox ever did, but necessarily
| less successfully.
But il happens that this year the Ohio
democrats have asserted themselves. took
charge OF their own convention, threw both
Johnson and Bernard out and nominated
candidate for governor who did not get
single vote in the convention from the large
cities-the fields of the bosses.
This IS why the ticket presented by the
Ohio democrats this year seems so aliuring
TO the better element of the republicans.
q.