New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-13
OHIO LEADERS
DODGNG BLAME
Party There Smashed by
Wilson's Victory Over
Hughes
BY STEVENSON II. EVANS


Cleveland, Nov. 12.-All the kings
horses and all the kings men couldn't
put Ohio together again.
The grand smash came, and the
pieces,are so small and so widely scat
tered that none Of the Republican lead
ers-neither the regulars of the Willis
Hatfield crowd, tho other regulars
Of the Hynicka Cincinnati crowd nor
tho Progressive insurgents OF the
Brown-Garfield faction-ventures, for
the present at least, to sound rally
ing cry for reconstruction.
IL is not q new deal which will be
required to make Ohio a Republican
state once more, but a new deck and
several new players.
AS the smoke Of battle clears away
and people realize how close TO de-
bacle the Wilson administration came
and how near Hughes was 20 success
it becomes clear that practically all the
responsibility can be put In two places.
One place is Ohio. where any possible
chance for Republican success literally
was frittered away. The other place
is California.
Leaders Hear About 1t
Ohio's quota Of electoral votes is suf-
fciently large to place, for the sake OF
political argument. full responsibility
for tho Republican smash of 1916 on
the state which has produced five Re-
publican Decentralization, Hayes,
Garfield, Mckinley and Taft. II Ohio
had voted with her sister states, with
which her interests are identical, then
the solid South and the woolly, wabbly
West could have gone hang.
1t Is not yet possible to get clear
idea of what the Republican leaders
of the State of Ohio are thinking or
planning. Possibly that is because
they have not now many clear thoughts.
Just at present they are put to it,
every man of them, to ward off some
of the bitter attacks that have come
from New York via telephone, telegraph
and United States mail.
What is being said TO them stings 8
badly as that famous adder of BIBLE
story. Their comeback, in so far as
il is articulate or audible or even print
able, first takes the form of You're
another
The campaign, from the point Of
view of the regular organization, was
manhandled at the start. As was
pointed out in Ohio dispatches to The
Tribune before election, three separate
campaigns were being waged-one for
Hughes (the weakest of the three, one
for Governor Willis, and the third for
Herrick.
Born OF Desperation
The Ohio defence for this state OF
affairs is that there was nothing else
to do. II was born of desperation.
The national committee tried to DO
business through the Progressives and
the Hughes Alliance, and the poor
regular mechanics, always perfectly
satisfied with the union scale, didn't
know where they were at or who was
who. These fellows, blaming the ma
tional campaign for the defeat OF their
Governor. are speechless with indigna-
ton.
The Progressive element in the
state, which, by the way, is extremely
powerful, claims an alibi. II didn't get
started soon enough, says it, and points
to the late hour when Walter F. Brown,
of Toledo, was dragged out of his tent.
Brown could have done wonders, &C
cording to this view, had ne started
earlier in the northern part of the
state.
But all that is water under the
bridge and not worth talking about,
except as it indicates the present state
of mind in Ohio.
They can't forget it yet or probably
for long time to come. They are be-
ing called harsh names and they are
irving to get much trouble out Of their
systems. They are in the harsh-words
stage, and likely to remain there quite
a while.
If two years hence they can pull
themselves together to the point of
changing the complexion of the Ohio
delegation to the House OF Representa-
tives they will be lucky.