The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-15
IN OHIO

IN OHIO.
The glee of the corporation and
Foraker organs over the supposed
compromise" in Ohio was short lived.
Secretary Taft refused to have any
| thing to do with the compromise" if
1t meant that he. in return for the
support of the Foraker machine for
the presidency, had to endorse the re-
election of Foraker to the United
States senate. In other words, Taft
refused to stand for, machine politics.
This put a stop to the compromise"
A few weeks ago Senator Foraker
started out with the determination
that Secretary Taft should not have
the support of the Ohio delegation for
the presidency in the Republican ma
tional convention next year. He is
sued a def to the friends Of Taft.
offering to submit the presidential
question and his own candidacy for
reelection to the senate. to the peo-
pie at the same time. Secretary Taft
himself was absent at Panama at the
time, but his brother, Charles P. Taft,
accepted Forakers challenge.
Then Senator Foraker came home
to Akron and made his anti-Roosevelt
speech. 1t was known. of course, that
Roosevelt was for Taft. Foraker's
speech was received like a wet
blanket. 1t began to dawn on the
Ohio corporation senator that the
people of his state were for the policies
Of Theodore Roosevelt rather than for
Joseph B. Foraker. and that being the
case, they were more than likely to
give Secretary Taft their enthusiastic
support for the presidency. Foraker
called Senator Dick. who is also chair
man of the Republican state commit
tee, to his support, and every effort
was made to line up the state against
Taft, but without success.
Then it apparently dawned on For
aker that under the terms of his "def,'
if the state lined up for Taft it also
meant his defeat for reelection to the
senate. So Boss Cox, machine poll
tician of Cincinnati. came out in an
interview, advising in the interests of
harmony that the state be for Taft
for the presidency and that there be
no fight on Foraker's reelection.
Coming shortly after Secretary Taft's
visit home, this interview gave the
impression that he also approved this
programme. Immediately Senator
Dick called a conference" of all Re-
publican leaders in Ohio, the object of
which was understood to be to ratify
this programme. 1t was given out
that there was no deal, but this move
was only in the interest of harmony"
This conference was to have been held
tonight.
Taking it for granted that the pro-
gramme would be carried out the
Foraker and corporation organs i'm |
mediately began to rejoice, pointing |
out that how Foraker had won his
point; that he was really only a can |
didate for the senate, and his main |
object in starting trouble for Taft had
been in order to make Taft's friends
keep from fighting him.
But this joy did not last long. The
big secretary let it be known that he
is not endorsing the reelection of
Foraker, and he has entered into no
deal that contemplates such thing.
The Foraker forces were not looking
for this. They figured that if Taft |
were promised the support of Ohio |
without a contest, he would keep still |
about Foraker. But Taft isn't built
that way. apparently. So the confer
ence that Chairman Dick had sched-
uled for tonight in the interest of
harmony has suddenly been called |
off. and the corporation organs are
again considering the possibility Of a
fight"
There is certain independent con-
gresham up in the Cleveland district
of whom the Foraker forces are very |
much afraid. His name is Theodore |
E. Burton. He fought the Foraker
Dick machine in the last campaign,
and he stands for the Roosevelt poll
eies in Ohio. He is one of the chief
supporters of Secretary Taft. In con-
gress he has a way of thinking for
himself. He is a tariff revisionist and
is opposed to a ship subsidy. He has
a strong boom for United States sena-
tor, and the Foraker machine is fear
full lest he may displace its chief. That
is one potent reason why the Foraker
forces became willing to compromise
when they saw that the state would be
likely to go for Taft. With harmony |
and the tacit support of Taft, Foraker
would be reelected. Without it, he
Is in great danger of defeat.
--
THE HOLD-UP
The announcement is made that the |
=,