The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1906-06-14
Joseph Benson Foraker.

| IL u mere lOOker on III vienna IT
seems clear that Senator Joseph Ben
son Foraker more than year ago
| evolved out of his inner consciousness
II plan of presidential campaign which
| he Is following without shadow of
turning and that is to gather under his
banner all of the anti Roosevelt Re
| publicans in the countly-a constantly
! increasing army. Like Major Joe Bag
stock, Senator Foraker is sly, sir,
deyilish sly" | am not in his conf
dence. though on friendly terms with
| him personally. never heard him
! mention the Republican presidential
| nomination in my life and never heard
1t mentioned to him or in his presence.
but | have by putting two and two to.
| gether figured out the result as four.
| 1t seems to me a safe guess that Just
about this time last year the senator
| took stock" to use a commercial ex-
| preston, of the presidential equation
and came to two conclusions which
have ever since determined his course
or action-Q) that, inasmuch as there
are three presidential candidates in the
| cabinet-Taft Shaw and Root; perhaps
fourth in the person of Postmaster
General Cortelyou-he, Foraker, could
hope for no assistance from the White
House; ~ that there is an anti-Roose-
welt contingent of Republicans which
might be made available in presiden-
tial fight and that he proposed to util-
ize it for all it is worth.
This theory first came to me when in
his opening speech in the Ohio cam
paign last year Senator Foraker open
ly antagonized what was then sup
posed to be the presidents railroad
rate plan, though 1t would in the light
of subsequent events, puzzle Phia-
delphia lawyer to tell what is the pres
idents plan. Many persons, remem-
bering how hot Senator Foraker was
for Roosevelt in 1903 and 1904 and
especially remembering how he helped
the president force from Senator Han
mas state convention in 1903 an in
dorsement of Colonel Roosevelt, were
amazed at the speech referred to OF
Senator Foraker in opening the Ohio
campaign of 1905. They forgot that
circumstances change and that men
change with them In 1903 and the
early part of 1904 the one thing dread
ed by Senator Foraker was the pres
idential nomination of Senator Mar
Gus A. Hanna, which was possible to
the hour of his death. Senator For
aker has cherished the ambition to be
president, and it is Il most laudable
one, nearly as long as it was cherished
by Henry Clay, James Buchanan or
James G.. Blaine. He was brilliant |
national figure nearly twenty years |
ago, long before Senator Hanna was
known outside of a small circle of |
business men. Senator Foraker had |
seen circumstances entirely beyond |
his control give the coveted presiden- |
tial plum to William Mckinley twice, |
and he knew that Hanna's nomination |
would in all human probability and
Hanna's election to the presidency
would certainly end his presidential |
hopes for three reasons-first, because
he and Hanna trained with different
factions, for let ii not be forgotten
that there are always Republican fac
tions in Ohio; second, that if Hanna
got one term he would want two. which
would bring us to 1913, at which time
Senator Foraker will be sixty-seven,
rather old to expect first presiden-
tial nominations; third, the people of
the rest of the country might demand
slice of the presidential pie and over
throw any and all Buckeye candidates.
That was apparently the Foraker
process of ratiOcinatiOn in 1903 and in
the early part of 1904 hence Foraker's
activity for Roosevelt at that time
That 1t was wise there can be no ques-
tlon. But In 1905 Senator Hanna was
In his grave; there was no other Ohio
Republican except Secretary Taft big
enough to contest the prize with Sen
atOr Foraker, and President Roosevelt
had openly declared and positively that
he would not be in the running in 1908
If Senator Joseph b. Foraker expects
ever to be president, he does not OK
pect or intend that William H. Taft
shall be nominated until Foraker has
had two terms. These things, even II
only inferences on my part, are clear
as crystal. There is sort of unWrit-
ten age limit on first presidential
nomination. Only one man, General
William Henry Harrison was ever
elected for the first time at so ad-
vanced an age as Senator Foraker will
be by the time Q013) at which Taft
would finish his first term II elected in
1908, TO say nothing OF Taft second
term, which would terminate In 1917,
at which time Foraker will be seventy
one. The O.ilce killed General Harri-
son In month. James Buchanan
lacked a few days OF being sixty-six
when lnducted into the presidency,
and his career therein, no doubt great
ly influenced by the infrmities OF age, ,
Is not such as 60 recommend old men
for the position While Mr.. Speaker I
Cannon is vigorous TO an extraordinary ,
degree, his age Is really the only seri-
Gus obstacle Ia his way to the White
House His friends hope that his per-
sonal popularity will overcome even
that. So, in general way Senator
Foraker must reason that II he is ever
10 be the presidential nominee 1t must
be In 1908 certainly not later than
1912.
Now, let IL be understood that | am
not eontsndins for one moment that