Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-01
WAR ON FORAKER
Bitter Fight is About to Begin in
Ohio.
WHOLE STATE STIRRED UP
Challenge by Secretary's Followers In
wolves the Senatorship.
ROOSEVELT WITH SECRETARY
Senator to Fight in the Open on His
Record and His
Services.
ROOSEVELT WITH SECRETARY

CINCINNATI, April 1.-The announce
ment Saturday by Charles P. Taft, editor
of the Times-Star here and brother of Sec
rotary of War Taft, that the latter is an
avowed candidate for the presidency and
that he hopes, with the aid of President
Roosevelt, to take away from Senators For
aker and Dick the political control of Ohio
caused something of a sensation. There is
to be no disguise about the proposition. 1t
is to be fight to a finish for supremacy
between the men who stand for the policies
Of the President and those who are opposed
to them. The elimina ton of Foraker from
political supremacy in Ohio is one point
Secretary Taft's brother says, and the
other is the question whether the Secretary
of War shall get the delegates from Ohio
in the next national convention.
1t is clear that a well-planned campaign
is on, and that many federal oiiiceholders
may be looked for to join the Taft forces.
1t is understood that Representatives Bur
ton and Longworth will lead the fight
against Foraker and Dick, and that there
will be no compromise.
1t is only mildly expressing the facts to
say that the republican politicians in Gin
cinnati regard this challenge as the begin
ming of the most bitter factional fight
known In Ohio politics in a generation.
1t is conceded that Editor Taft would not
have brought in the name of President
Roosevelt without authority. and that his
challenge means the administration is in
the field against the two United States
senators from Ohio and their able lieuten-
ants who control the republican machinery.
May Split Ohio.
For a month past there have been ru-
mors that this fight would split Ohio, and
that the question of Taft against all other
candidates would enter into the primaries
in many other states. Representatives
Burton and Longworth have informed their
friends that Roosevelt, Root and Cortelyou
had selected Taft and that he would get
delegates in New York, New Jersey, Con-
necticut. Massa chusetts, Pennsylvania, In
diana, Illinois and from many of the inter
mountain states, as we'll as from the Pa
cific coast. The open acknowledgment of
Taft candidacy means not only that Presi-
dent Roosevelt is behind him, but that the
administration is against Fairbanks in In
diana, Shaw in Iowa, La Toilette in Wis
consn and Hughes in New York.
FOrakers lieutenantS here cOncede that
this is the situation, and that the friends
of all other candidates will Immediately
line up against Taft, not only in the east
and west, but in the south. They look for
Senators Elkns, Scott, kean and Aldrich
to lead the anti-administration forces. 1t
is said that former Governor B. B. Odell
has been selected in New York state and
that Fairbanks has many able leutenants
in the south and southwest.
The Foraker men say that Taft is being
used by the White House merely as shut
tlecock that the plan is to create Taft
and anti-raft factions, to carry the same
policy into other states that have candi-
dates and finally force a compromise on the
convention with President Roosevelt the
candidate.