Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-16

preciptated fierce fight between the For
aker and Hanna elements in the districts
that threatens to go all over the state.
How serious the fight would be In its future
bearings on Ohio politics be contem-
plated unless stop is put to it.
The whole affair is such a delicate one
that the President is taking no part and
will do nothing that would directly involve
him. lie is being drawn indirectly into the
fight, which he sees is not a good one for
the party, but he will resolutely have it un-
derstood that he must not be a party
either way, at least SO far as the factional
part of the affair goes.
Those states in which a call by the state
chairman is issued before the call of the
chairman of the national republican COM
mlttee run a risk of having the validity of
tfeir action questioned in case there should
be contesting delegations. 1t is supposed
that state charmen will await the call of
the national chairman in order that the
state call may be in exact accordance with
the provisions of the national call. 1t has
frequently happened that the lack of such
uniformity has caused much trouble in the
case of conteSting delegations to the
ma tional convention.
The suggestion that Senator Penrose In
issuing his call for the state primaries in
Pennsylvania for the election of de!ega tes
to the national convention was endeavoTing
to get ahead of Chairman Hanna in the is
suance of his call for the convention is not
accredited by friends of Senator Hanna
AT the time Senator Penrose made that
call he explained that the only reason for
doing so was because of the necessity for
the committee to get to work at as early
a day as possible.
What Is at the Bottom of It.
The determination of Senator Hanna to
absolutely control the Ohio delegation in
the next national convention is at the bot
tom Of the dangerous fight that has started.
The Foraker people have declared that in
every district a fight must be made for del
egates pledged to Roosevelt. With Senator
Hanna in the ascendancy in Ohio politics
at this time the announcement that per-
sons other than his personal friends are to
be sent to the convention has been accepted
much in the way a bull goes a a red flag.
Democrats are taking an indirect part and
declaring that it is Roosevelt fighting
Hanna and Foraker fighting Hanna, there
by stirring up all kinds Of trouble. They
also add stories that If Hanna succeeds in
taking the Ohio delegates to the convention
with him and defeating the Foraker forces
that Foraker will be defeated forever, and
that his place in the Senate will be taken
by Gov. Herrck, Representative Dick or
some other good Hanna man. The oppor-
tunity for strife making has not been left
uncultivated
Presidents Name Drawn In.
Friends of the President In Ohio, men
WHO uO not DelOHS primarily eltneT TO the
Hanna or the Foraker element, naturally
want the President to have the delegation
from that state. but they are not men in
control of the state and county organiza-
tions. The Foraker people are joining
these for the good they may reap for
themselves in future control of the state,
and because otherwise the fight may mean
extinction
The President has been most awkwardly
placed throughout. The fact that he has
for long time been friendly to Senator
Foraker gives an impression that he is in
sympathy with that element. Some of his
friends have suggested that, to prevent a
factional fight, he call off his personal
friends, but this would be miscon-
strued nothing has been done in this di-
rection. 1t is regarded as quite likely that
Senator Hanna viii have conference with
the President in short while, at which
the subject may be touched upon, but the
delicacy of it may prevent full consider
alton. 1t may have to be left to time to