The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-06-27
1T SETS THINGS RIGHT.
The Publication of Foraker's Letters
Places Foraker, Bushnell and
f.snq sip
Kurtz, In q New Light.

The attack of Kohlsaat, of the Chi.
cago Times-Herald, in which KOhlsaai
charged Foraker with working against
Hanna in the Senatorial fight, led
Foraker to publish letters from ex-Gov.
Foster, Hon. John Little, and Mr.. C. B.
Firestine, of Cleveland, written
during the Senatorial struggle, to
Senator Foraker, and his replies there.
to.
The letters were written to point out
to Senator Foraker that he was doing
an injury to himself and the party by
his position of neutrality.
The Senator replied to each of the
distinuished gentlemen frankly, and
told them he had done all he could for
Mr.. Hanna. That Mr.. Hanna had
forced an issue between himself and
Gov. BUSHNELL and Mr.. Kurtz; that he
had advised Mr.. Hanna to make amends
for wrong he had done these gentlemen,
that Mr.. Hanna had refused, and that
he, Senator Foraker, did not feel called
upon to further offer his services.
During the campaign to elect the Leg.
islature, he had done all he could tc
secure Republican Legislature, and
that having done this, he did not feel
called upon thereafter to do what
Senator Sherman had never done and
had never been called upon to do, towit
Interfere between rival Republican
candidates for that position.
The letters develop the fact that
Hanna had grossly offended Bushnell
and Kurtz and refused to make amends
and Senator Foraker, under the circum.
stances, did not feel called upon to take
sides against them.
Mr.. Foster, in his letter urging Sen
ator Foraker to take sides says:
81 think l know something of the
grievances that Bushnell, Kurtz and
other friends have toward Hanna. His
treatment of them (some of them al
least, has been little less than brutal. y
In his letter to Mr.. Foster, Senator
Foraker says:
''The truth is, all the opposition thai
is manifested to Senator Hanna, is O
his own making, and the case ha!
reached that point where no individual
can control it, but only circumstances
| Governor Bushnell and Mr.. Kurtz,
| need not say to you, are men OF tht
highest character. They are sensitive
ly honorable, and it cannot be expected
that they will allow Mr.. Hanna or any
L Ind lry 1ca rrsv Of
you refer to in your letter, without re
senting it, if they have chance to d.
so, and 1 know there is such acute an,
intense feeling on this subject thatlany
thing would say, or that anybOd
wOuldsay, would cause themto alter thei
purpose with respect to Mr.. Hanna. az
cept Onlywhat Mr.. Hanna, himself nigh
/ to saythem. No more generous man eve
lived than is Governor Bushnell, an
no man who would more quickly re
ceive an apology and act upon it.
Senator Hanna would go to him an
Mr.. Kurtz, he no doubt, could allay a.
trouble"
Senator Foraker In his letter to Littl
Isaid:
:" The grievance of Mr.. Kurtz relate
to charge that he was unfaithful i
financial matters while Chairman i
1896. The story was absolutely falls
and malicious. He says Senator Ham
refused to contradict it when he aske
to do so, and when he had full know
edge of its falsity. For this reason hi
Offense is one which no man on cart
can induce him to overlook or fail
resent to the utmost, except only Ser
atOr Hanna himself.
"T sent word to Senator Ham
repeatedly, by his friends to see MI
Kurtz land make the amende honor
able" and if he did not succeed i
lallaying the trouble he would at leas
lOpen the way for others then to tax
the matter up and settle it. He di
not see fit to act on the suggestion, an
THEREIN, think, made q mistake tina
it is now too late to remedy"
4 Mr.. Firestine in his letter to Senate
Foraker states that he and Judge Pug
had waited upon Mr.. Hanna, in relatio
to the Senatorial contest, and talke
with him about Senator Foraker's pos
tion, and he says:
s'Senator Hanna said he would b
glad to have anything done that woul
bring about that result, and would b
glad to do anything or suggest an,
thing for his friend to work upon. b
also stated that you had acted true |
this matter, and after doing all yo
could on, the stump during the cam
paign; and the Republican ticket an
the Republican Legislature havin
been elected, that you did not inten
Il to take any further part in the fgh
that it was Republican fight. M
Hanna stated that having take
that position, you ought to be shielde
in it, and that he had no word of con
3 plaint."
II No one can read these letters ar
l arrive at any other conclusion tha
this, that Senator Foraker's positi6
was an open one, that it was known
Mr.. Hanna, and that it was the corret
one for him to take. Had he turnt
against his nearest friends, wi
thought they had been grievohs
3 wronged by Senator Hanna, he woul
g have forfeited the respect of all homo
g able men.