Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-12-17

~ INCE the days of jonathan and
David. to say nothing of Damon
and Pythias, there has been no
such exhibition of love Of one
man for another as that of senator
Joseph Benson Foraker for President
Roosevelt Wherefore? The cause is
not far TO seek by any person at al
familiar with Buckeye politics. For
aker is as anxious and ambitious as
any man now living to become presi
dent of the United States, His is a
waiting policy. Notwithstanding all
the grand stand plays Of affection be-
twixt him and Senator Hanna, there Is
no love lost between them Quite-the
contrary AT heart they hate each
other as the devil hates holy water.
They never can be friends. Fifteen
years ago Foraker's chances of reach,
ing the White House appeared better
than William McKinley's, for then Nc
Kinley was only representative in
congress. while Foraker at the early
age of forty-four was serving his sec
ond term MS governor of Ohio and was
the idol of all the young Republicans
in the state His successful tussle
with Cleveland about the return Of
the captured Confederate battlefiags
gave him national reputation, and his
star was in the ascendant but it speed
lily went into partial eclipse. In 1889
be was nominated for third guberna
torial term and was defeated by Hon.
James 3. Campbell through what For.
aker and his friends have always deem
ed treachery on the part of certain Re.
publicans in Ohio who desired to put a
crimp in his ambition, for let it never
be forgotten that Ohio Republicans
never yet scrupled to stab each other
under the fifth rib whenever they felt
like doing so.
AS Foraker's star paled McKinley's
mounted to the zenith and blazed with
constantly augmenting spiendor till the
day Of his death AS Mckinley grew.
Marcus A. Hanna grew until he as
sumed presidential proportions to For
aker's ineffable disgust Foraker, being
q wise man. recognized that Mckinley
had secured a lead over him and ae
cepted the inevitable with such grace
as he could muster and twice placed
his great rival in nomination for presi-
dent Did his own presidential ambition
die? By no manner of means 1t didn't
even sleep. Foraker simply bided his
time. which he thinks win be in 1907,
but he knows that the chances are ten
-, ono q 90 81 !, IL, ~. 1cne -
Senator Hanna is nominated next year,
for two reasons: ~ If Hanna is nomi-
mated in 1904 and elected he would want
second term dead sure, in 1908 and,
having The machine, would probably
secure a denomination, though he will
be past seventy two on March 4, 1903;
~ even if Hanna did not want a second
term the chances would not favor an
Ohioan for the succession, and Hanna,
having finished his career, would al
most certainly use his machiDe ruth
lessly to bar Foraker; hence Joseph
Benson, while damning Marcus Alonzo
with faint praise, is moving heaven
and earth to nominate Roosevelt He
probably reasons it out this way: That
If Roosevelt is nominated and elected
he will not be a candidate in 1908; that
as Hanna will be seVenty-one years old
Sept. "A, 1908, he would not at that
great age be nominated first time;
that nearly two terms having then in
tervened since McKinley's death an
Ohio man could aspire to the Republic
an presidential nomination with some
reasonable hope of success, and that,
Hanna being out of the running, For
aker would be the Ohio man. All
this is well reasoned. provided have
really struck Senator Foraker's train of
thought. He is a brilliant man. an
amiabIe gentleman one Of the ablest
Republicans in public life. Personally
] like him, and what is here said is not
said in an unfriendly spirit Nobody
can blame him for desiring to be presi-
dent, and nobody can blame him for
doing those things which he may do
honorably for his own advancement.
1t is a great prize he is struggling for.
and he may win.