Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-25
TAFT-F0RAKER FEUD
The Situation In Ohio Is Decid-
eddy Complicated.
TALK OF A COMPROMISE
The Secretary Has Blocked All Efforts
So Far.
CHAIRMAN BROWNS STATEMENT
Only Hope Is That the Opposing Fac
lions May Get Together in Conven-
tion-Line of Cleavage.
BROWNS STATEMENT
Special Dispatch to The Star.

| Special Dispatch to The Star.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 25.-It is quite
reliably reported from Cincinnati today
that the two members of the repub
lican state central committee from the
congressional districts of Hamilton coun-
ty will refuse to vote for reso-
| luton indorsing the candidacy of Secre-
| tary Taft for the presidency unless the
committee agrees also to indorse Foraker
for reelection to the Senate The report is
a great surprise here, as 1t was generally
supposed that the Hamilton county re-
publican organization was pledged to Taft.
By many the report is not credited.
A friend of the Taft movement said to-
day that he could not figure out more than
ten Of the twenty-one members OF the
state central committee that would vote
against a Taft resolution in next weeks
meeting. counting ell the uncertain men,
bers as against Taft.
The skirmish fight that has been going
on in Ohio for the last five months be-
tween the adherents of Senators FORAKER
and Dick and Secretary Taft regarding
the Endorsement of Secretary Taft by the
republicans of the state for the republican
nomination for the presidency Is about
over and their forces are forming in line
of battle for a fierce onset. 1t seems prop
able that the meeting of the state central
committee here next Tuesday will be DIG
with Importance for the presidential as
pirations of Secretary Taft. That day Will
probably see the decision as TO Whether
the movement to secure for him the presi-
ctr
Both sides understand the Importance of
the meeting and are leaving no stone I'M
turned to secure control of the members
of the committee. In fact, agents for the
contestants have been securing the state
for several weeks in preparation for the
contest. for the meeting of the committee
| could have been discounted weeks ago. By
the election laws of the state the secretary
of state who Is ex-officio state supervisor
of elections, is required to appoint two
members of the board of elections in each
| county each year on the first day Of Au-
| gust-one democratic and the other repub-
lican. He must appoint the person nomi-
mated by the county executive committee
| Of the party to which he belongs and
| which he is to represent In the election
board.
Six Separate Contests.
But, as 1t frequently happens, there are
conflicting nominations-two bodies claim
| ing to be each the real county executive
committee In that case the secretary for
| merly had to decide which was the valid
| committee. but that gave rise to dissatis-
| faction. and the legislature last winter
| enacted q law providing that in case of
! such conflicting nominations the secretary
| OF state shall advise the state central COM
mlttee OF the party in which the conflict
occurs Of the fact and ask it to decide
which recommendation is the valid one
| the state central committee of each party
| being thus recognized as the highest au-
| thOrity in party matters.
1t Is to decide. not one such contest but
| Six OF them, that the republican state CEN
| trail committee has been called to meet
| here next Tuesday. Ordinarily when the
| committee Is convened for any purpose II
| may take up any other matters that are
! proper for 1t to consider at any time but
| the call for this meeting specifically adds
| after the reference to the contests to be de-
| cided and any other business that may
| come before it." Ordinarily nothing would
| be thought Of that. but with the Foraker
Taft controversy on much has been made
| of 1t.
Indorsing Secretary Taft.
II have no knowledge of any resolution
indorsing Secretary Taft" said Chairman
| Brown when asked about 1t yesterday
That is to say. I will offer no resolution
Of the kind myself. and 1 do not know of
| any member who has such resolution pre-
| the committee to consider such a resolution
If it should be offered 1 should expect such
a resolution to be offered in the committee
meeting, and If it Is my opinion is that 1t
will be adopted. There has been no change
In the attitude Of the state central COM
mittee toward Secretary Taft for the last
two months. l know 1t was then strongly
for the Endorsement of Secretary Taft AS
for myself, my position Is well known. l
am for the Endorsement Of the candidacy Of
Snor afa
the rank ana file of the republicans of the
state feel that way. The members of the
committee cannot fail to catch that senti-
ment among their people In my position
as chairman of the committee and it's pre-
siding officer 1t does not become me, how
ever, to take an active part in the matter
prior to the meeting of the committee"
Foraker Affiliations.
Chairman Brown has been closely asso-
ciated with Senators Foraker and Dick in
state politics for many years and his dec
laration for Taft in this controversy is a
surprise from which the politicians of the
state have hardly yet recovered Friends
of Senator Foraker are saying here this
week that for his action In this matter
Brown stands chance to lose his position
at the head of the republican state COM
mittee. for If the senators should prove to
control the committee when 1t meets next
week they could easily declare the position
Of chairman vacant and elect one of their
own Heutenants to the place.
For the last three weeks the air has been
full of rumors Of compromise between
the Taft and Foraker forces. Little coming
from the Taft headquarters on the subject
the general public was fast coming to be-
lieve that there was truth in the rumor 1t
has been the popular notion here all
through the contest that what Senator
Foraker wanted was not the Endorsement
of his state for the presidential nomina-
ton. but to have an Endorsement of him
self for reelection to the Senate in 1909
tackled upon whatever Endorsement of the
presidential aspirations of Secretary Taft
the party might give-just as was done
when Mckinley was given the Endorsement
Of the state for the presidency.
Avoiding Internal Strife.
1t should be stated that both Secretary
Taft and his manager. Mr.. Vorys. have re-
pudiated the statement that they were en-
gagged in war Of determination against
anybody. They have sought to make 1t
plain on every occasion since that they are
not concerned with the candidacy of any
one else for any other Office, and will re-
fuse to complicate the movement for the
nomination of Secretary Taft with any
ut her movement either for or against