Year: 1875

COLUMBUS, OHIO, September 13, 1875.


do not know whether you have shared the
apprehensons of other Republicans in and out
Of this state regarding the contest this fall, but
you have no doubt seen them expressed and
indeed week ago matters looked much more
serious here than the managers were willing to
admit To an Eastern man, coming freshly
into the state, the cause was not remote one.
The Democrats had all the force and aggress-
iveness of the canvass with them; the Repub-
licans were fighting with an insufficient back
ing of principles. They had only the school
question which they dared push, and this they
were OVERRIDING. You know, of course, what
there is in this school question-nothing but
apprehension of the possibility of danger to
the schools, derived by the passage by the
Democrats Of one bill, not affecting them, at
the demand of the Catholics, and the demands
of the Catholics for bal which did affect
them. The Democracy made a good stard
against the charge; they pointed to the plat
form as proof that they were friends of the
schools, and promised uncompromising defense
of the schools whenever they should be at
tackled. This could not but be an effective re-
ply when coupled with the charge that the
school question was only introduced as fent
to cover Republican weakness on the real issue,
the financial question:; and the consequence
was that a reaction was setting in.


The Republican timidity about pushing the
financial question was founded upon real
belief in the substantial devotion of Ohio to
infationism, more or less rampant. But the
inaction of the managers was only intensifying
this tendency and sending doubtful voters to
where they could get inflationism pure and
simple. Several of the speakers would confne
their greenback argument to the plea that
since the Republican party issued the green
backs the Republican party was best able to
take care of them. 1t is easy to see that there
was no force or converting power in that sort
of talk.


Within the past week, however, these tactics
have been altered and the state committee are
now committed to a vigorous pressing of hard
money and anti-infationism. Upon Governor
Woodford of New York they have placed the
brunt of this convass for the next ten days, and
he has appointments at GAINESVILLE, Springfield,
Dayton, Toledo, Eyria, Cleveland, Youngs-
town, Columbus and Cincinnati for successive
evenings, that being all the time his private



business places at his disposal. This honor be-
longs of right to Gov. Woodford, because his
speeches were first to give life and vigor to the
canvass. Beginning at Youngstown, Kelley's
famous place for communistic speeches, last
Monday, he has spent the week talking hard
money and resumption extensively in
the very head centre of Republican in
fationism. At Youngstown the local Republi.
can speaker keep him off the platform for over
an hour, fearing that the Governor, who was
in for hard-money fight or none at all, would
go too far; and yet the success of his address
when he did make it, was wonderful The au-
dience applauded and cheered the further he
went although silent when he began. APP
parently he touched their latent integrity and
brought their to the honesty front through their
intelleots. The next day committee waited
upon him to invite him to return, and as this
is a most important place in the canvass, repre-
senting, as it does, the sentiments of the idle
mill. workers, Mr.. Woodford has consented to
go. His address defines the nature and use of
money and credit and the true relations to
them of currency-a dry subject; but he in