Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-31
TAFT AND PRESIDENCY
Formal Declaration From Ohio
Republicans Unlikely.
DIVERSITY OF OPINION
Comment Over an Early Convention
and Action.
TAFT MEN CONTROL MACHINE
Secretary Will Eventually Have the
Entire State Backing for the
Nomination. =
TAFT MEN CONTROL MACHINE


| Special Dispatch 10 The Star
oLuMBtS, ohio. May 31-It Is not
likely that Il formal declaration for the
nomination of Secretary Taft for the presi-
uthcy VIII be made by the Ohio republicans
I TINS year. though an element in his support
! IS sun urging that the thing to do Is to call
state convention about the middle OF tho
summer for the express purpose of making
such declaration and of selecting the four
delegates at-large to which the state will be
| entitled in the national convention of next
year. But the Taft movement leaders ara
not agreed as to this Before the SUCCESS
ton was made by Secretary Elmer Dover
Vi uhe national republican committee that
such action this year by the Ohio repub-
lcans might lay ground for an unpleasant
OF the republican national committee that
| there were objections to the plan by Taft
advocates here. The Toledo Blade. which
Is one of the strong Taft republican papers
in the state, has been declaring that such
a convention would be most foolish as well
! as unnecessary.
/ or course, the object sought by those re-
publicans who are asking for a state con-
Vention at once is to show to the republic
cans of the other states that the repubIi-
| cans OF Ohio are behind the movement In
the interest Of Secretary Taft unanimously
Ihey are afraid that the notion will pre-
van, because of the prominence that has
been given in the press of the controversy
between the friends of Secretary Taft and
| those of Senator Foraker in Ohio that
there Is a considerable element of the re-
publican party here that Is hostile to Mr.
Iaft. Whatever may have been the object
OF senator Foraker and his friends at first,
tne fact Is that not for many weeks have
| they thought OF securing the presidential
| nomination for Mr.. Foraker
| likely tha
| ton of some of the more radical Taft lead
ers that Senator Foraker must be wholly
| eliminated from politics the republicans
| of this state would be at this time in hsr-
| mony behind the movement for the nomina-
| ton of Secretary Taft.
| When things took on this aspect Senator
| Foraker naturally showed fight State In
surahce Commissioner Vorys for the Taft,
| movement, promptly disavowed the plan of
retiring Senator Foraker or any one else
| in connection with the Endorsement of Mr.
Taft for the presidency. The minor leaders
who had declared war against Senator For
aker readily recanted their declarations.
but, of course, Senator Foraker under
stands that so far they are concerned
the war is merely being postponed and will
be renewed next year. Senator Foraker not
unnaturally hesitates to join hands in any
enterprise with those whom he knows to be-
planning his overthrow.
Taft Men in Control.
The Taft managers. it must be admitted
| now, have complete control of the state ma
chine, and if expressions OF the ruling COM
mittees In the districts and counties may
be relied upon, would a popular vote
carry every county and district in the state
The only district about which there
seemed to be doubt on this proposition was
the tenth, represented in Congress by H
{. Bannon, an ardent supporter of Senator
Foraker and the only republican represen-
tative from this state who is still standing
by the senator. But the executive COM
SclOtO Of ba
district and the home of Representative
Bannon. adopted a resolution Wednesday
declaring in strong terms in favor Of the
nomination of MI. Taft for the presidency
But the Taft organization has In the
control OF the state republican machine q
power that they afraid to use
leader so conservative and cautions es
State Insurance Commissioner Vorys Will
hesitate a good while before venturing to
call for state convention this year II
may be relied upon that he will not take
the initiative in IT. 1t is a question as TO
whether he can control all the hot heads
that are In the Taft movement
1t will be necessary to call the state CEN
trail committee into session about the mid
die OF July to pass upon several contests in
the county republican organizations. These
county organizations must nominate can
didates to the secretary of state before
August l for appointment by him to tho
county boards of election.
The law provides that In case two or
more nominations have been made by or
CARNATIONS claiming to be the legitimate
county committees of party the state
central committee shall be called upon NV
the secretary of state to decide which ia
the legitimate committed There are sew
eral such disputes, and 1t will be necessary
for Secretary of State c. A. Thompson TO
call the state committee together to decide
these disputes. This will give the hot
heads n chance. and IT will be strange IF
they let pass without being improved an
opportunity to propose that the committee
which has the power to do social for a
state convention to declare for Taft I'm a
way; as they put It. that will show
all the world where Ohio stands"
That Ohio will eventually stand unani-
mously for Secretary Taft for the presi-
dency when the proper time comes for an
oppression next year seems clear now, I'M
less the question then becomes complicated
with that of the Endorsement of Senator
Foraker for reelection to the Senate and
the friends Of Secretary Taft appear to be
lined up quite generally with the enemies
OF the senator. Here is the danger that
stands In the way OF the Taft movement
here. 1t is sure to encounter trouble II It
does not keep clear from the question OF the
reelection of Senator Foraker. The friends
of Secretary Taft nave not always shown
good judgment in handling this matter
Foraker's Unpopularity.
Whether unjustly not. the fact re-
mains that Senator Foraker is laboring at
present under a great load of unpopularity
in his own party here. The railroad ques-
ton is an acute one in Ohio just now 1t
affects tremendously the interests depend
ent upon the soft coal trade. Here in CO.
lumbus, for instance. manufacturers are
paying 100 per cent more for steam coal
than they paid ten years ago. The mine
owners are paying but a trihe more for
mining coal than they paid then. The con-
sumers of coal attribute 1t to the merging
of the-railroad and coal interests and the
refusal of the railroad companies TO give
shipping facilities to the operators who are
not in the merger or to extend switches
from their lines to new coal mines which
owners desire to open up-thus bottling up
the coal supply
This being the condition that he found in
Ohio. Senator Forakers remark in his Cam
ton speech six weeks ago, that what these
interests wanted most was to be let alone,