New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-18
OHIO SOLID FOR TAFT.
CH1IRNIN RROUN TALKS.
Says Foraker and Dick Should Deny
SupDOrt of Fairbanks.

! OF the Ohio Republican State Central Com
! mttee, to-day declared himself unqualnedly
/ for Mr.. Taft and said the Republicans of Ohio
were solidy in favor of the Secretary's can
ddacy and that Senator'S Foraker and Dick owe
1t to themselves and their friends to settle the
report that they are secretly supporting the can
didacy of Vice President Fairbanks He de-
clared also that the sentiment for Mr.. Taft is
so strong that. If further opposed in any way
misrepresented by Senators Foraker and Dick.
/ 1t will burst all bounds and demand expression
/ In popular convention. Chairman Browns
| opiTren Of the situation was summed up in this
sentence:
There is not to my knowledge Republican
/ leader whose prominence is acknowledged
throughout Ohio who faVors any candidate for
tho Presidency except Secretary Taft.
There eighty-eight counties in this
| state" continued Mr.. Brown. Il have direct In
! formation from the leading politicians in three
/ fourths Of them. and every man is for Taft l
! have not exact Information from the remain
! ing counties. but know that they, too are for
! Taft There is, of course a number of IN
various parts of the state indebted to Senators
| Foraker and Dick for benefits received. Some
OF these men are. is natural, little noisy in
| behalf of the Senators but even among them
| there is not, In my opinion any feeling for any
Presidential candidate but.Taft. What is much
more important however, is the fact that the
people Of Ohio overwhelmingly in favor of
Taft. There IS not the slightest doubt of this,
and anybody who does not know 1t Is ignorant
Of the real political conditions in Ohio"
SENATORS NOT IN CONTROL.
! 1t suggested TO Mr.. Brown that a belief
exists among politicians in other states
that Senators Foraker and Dick control the
state party machinery and that the power Of the
organization is behind them.
/
that" he replied THE Senators do not control
| the party machinery, and they have
swayed, and they do not now sway, the State
| Central Committee in any OF its actions. II Is
! the absolute truth, every Ohio politician
knows, that the committee has never been under
| their control at any time since its membership
was announced The organization is with Taft
There is thing that | would like to men
| ton. and that is that nobody who has assumed
any responsibility for the Taft movement has
expressed any desire to eliminate Senator For
aker from politics. If such statements have
| been made by anybody they entirely
authorized by any who is connected with
the Taft campaign. We desire to eliminate the
| Democracy from politics far we able.
and that is the extent of desires in that
direction. 1 wish very much that you would
make that statement to the public at large on
the other hand is the question Of whether Sem
ators Foraker and Dick supporting the
| candidacy OF Vice President Fairbanks. The
| friends OF both Senators hoping that they
! VIII find opportunity of setting this
story rest"
There is absolutely no human chance OF stop
! ping~the Taft movement in this state. II is not
| possible for any any number OF men
to do this. and I wish TO say. in nay capacity
| chairman OF the State Central Committee. that
| If the Senators declare for Senator Foraker
| candidate for the Presidency. or In any other
| way attempt TO misrepresent the feeling in this
| state affecting Taft. the sentiment is-so
strong that it will demand public expression.
| Tho obvious way 10 do this would be TO call
state convention. adopt resolutions in accord
ance with the spirit OF the delegates, and elect
| the delegates at large 10 the next Republican
National Convention. Such a convention would
stir things up, and would be revolutionary. I
earnestly hope that IT may not be necessary TO
call such convention. I much prefer not to
| see such a step taken. There would be nine
! hundred delegates in that convention, and you
can't tell how far nine hundred Taft adherents
might go"
WOULD BE UNANIMOUS FOR TAFT
DO you believe that such convention. com
posed of nine hundred delegates, would be unan-
| imous for Taft?'
why, certainly it would be But don't
want such a convention. There is no telling Just
| what II VIII no. ana WnOcNcf DrlllSS ABOUT tHe
! conditions that make such convention neces-
sary will assume grave responsibility"
| Il know" continued Mr.. Brown, that there
are persons throughout the country who regard
| Senator Foraker a Presidential possibility.
They have known for years his brilliant person
| alitv and admire many able things he has done.
In the matter OF Presidential possibilities. how
! ever Ohio is not at present with Senator For
aker 1t is heart and soul with Taft I wish
the people of the United States to understand
this clearly l want them to know that the
Republicans of Ohio are behind Taft as a people,
and they are with him party and with all
| the party organization. These are absolute
mathematical facts. There have been men
elected President of the United States by senti-
ment alone and some by party power alone, but
| in this case il is both sentiment and party. The
! declaration recently made by Mr.. Cox in Gin
! cinnati was intended TO convey this information
| to the country Mr.. Cox is sincerely desrous OF
| retiring from active political leadership. There
are, however in all parts of the country men
! who have set in national conventions with Cox.
! and they want to know where he stands In such
! a matter as this. He made his statement with
the intention of notifying the country at large
that Ohio did not regard Senator Foraker as a
| Presidential factor. and will not back him in
any such ambition If he has 1t. am sincerely
Of the opinion that the wisest thing Senator
| Foraker do, both in his own interest and In
that Of the Republican party, Is to declare him
! self in accord with the wishes of the people OF
| Ohio and support Taft Such course Is the
| very best for his own interests that he can pur-
sue
Columbus Ohio. May IA statement given
out tonight with the approval of Governor Har-