The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-06-09
FOURTH DISTRICT
MIDDLE Permeates Even State Con-
ventiOn-Emmet ManniX Gets
on Committee on Rules
david w. Bowman in Lima Times
Democrat of June 2.

DtluOCldl VI y uuG q
Fourth district politics turned OFT
to be the feature of the state con-
vention gathering at Columbus yes
terday. Not that it actually entered
into the deliberations of the demo-
Gratis of the SS counties, but because
in the Neil lobby, where scores OF
congressman and several United
States senators have been made and
unmade, the Fourth Ohio predomin-
ated in representatives., activity and
interest.
Cunningham, Goecke, Studevant,
Riddle and Coombes were on the job.
Hussey and Hunt may have been
there, but not very long if at al. In
every county delegation there were
politicians with some sort of a deal
ready to spring. Rumors Of the most
impossible nature circulated. Grape
vines grew, hourished and withered
within an hour. Only two stories,
however, received enough attention
to become the common gossip of the
district delegation.
The first was to the effect that If
the Cooke forces were ready to con
centrate on Coombes as a compro-
mise candidate, subject to the with
drawal of the other candidates. This
was soon followed by the report that
Cunningham could not be budged,
despite the declaration that the rest
were willing. This bears out the be-
liei now common that Dick" is in
the fight to a finish intends to sit
tight and the man who dislodges him
Wi! need blasting powder.
he r,REriyra In thin o
he will stand as a compromise can
didate, but will not enter free-for-
I'LL. His friends in Miami too, said
that jeff is too good a man to be
banged up in an eight or ten corner
ed fight The ManniX boom got start
ed once, but as George was not on
the field, his adherents evidently de-
cided to wait until they had him han
dy for display. Then Studevant
started calling his attention to his
recent statement in the Sidney Daily
News to the fact that he is running
free lance and not as a candidate
of another. Riddle was i'll, butnot
to ill to discuss crops with rural del
egates About this time Ad Meeker,
of Greenville, arrived with a couple
of mysterious references to the next
few days, thereby messing up the sit
uation a little more.
Cunningham and Goecke, mean
while, were shaking hands like a gov
ernor at cornerstone laying. The
former circulated about with a de-
liant expression occasionally remark
ing that he was ready to meet all
newcomers. "The more the merrier'
was his reception of the rumors of
new entrants. This would indicate
that he had his organization perfec-
ted and was assured of substantial
returns in spite of favorite sons in
various counties Cooke strode hith-
er and yon, smiling blandly and incl
dentally managing to land on the res
olutions committee of the convention.
Somebody started a boom for j. Hen
ry as Encouragement to get him out
of the congressional fight, perhaps
and once the editor of party paper
in the lower end of the district sized
up the boom as a movement to Off
set the Hoskins bOiler-plate boom for
the same job. Cooke and Sam used
to be partners, but split.
Further interest was injected into
the gathering by the attempt of Bill
Hoffer, of Wapakoneta, to start a
Ritchie boom. His idea was individ-
Continued on Eighth Page)