The San Francisco call., 1907-03-24

Burton has no use for Foraker,
partly because he is built on different
lines and partly because Foraker is In
his way If it were not for Foraker,
Burton would be in the Senate. and he
would begin to harvest reputation
from the seed of hard work that he
has been sowing for years. Knowing
that he cannot aspire to the Presi-
dency just yet, even if he is an Ohioan.
Burton does not intend to let For
aker's pathway be strewn with roses
exclusively He will sprinkle a few
thorns and tie few ropes across the
path.
No one knows just how thick Burton
and Taft are, but they are thick
enough. Burton would be invited into
Tafts Cabinet without doubt. Tafts
advancement would be a good thing
for Burton. So he is working for it
with might and main. He is perhaps
the hardest worker In public life. He
is a bachelor. and has no family ties
whatever. His work is his mistress
1t is not unusual for him to work
twenty hours dey. AS he is perfectly
abstemious. he thrives on diet of
statistics and political melange.
When Secretary Taft goes to Panama
toward the end of this month Burton
will go along. There will be a few
others, but the main object of the trip
will be to frame up the political
game in Ohio. Taft is interrupted
every minute or two while in Washing
ton. II nobody else bothers him, the
President phones for him every ten or
fifteen minutes. Taft carries the
Panama canal and Cuba and the Philip
pines without any trouble, but when he
tries to add Ohio politics to the pack
he begins to stagger He is not q
political general, like Foraker. 1t is
here that Burton comes into the play
Burton does not equal Foraker. either
in political strategy, but with Roose-
welt and Taft and James r. Garfield to
help, Burton is capable of throwing a
fine assortment of monkey wrenches
into the Foraker-Dick machine.
One OF the monkey wrenches that
may be selected to do few things in
Ohio is the plan for direct primaries,
including scheme something like the
Oregon law enabling the people to in
dicate their choice for United States
Senators. Foraker Will fight this
scheme to fragile. His. term expires
on March 8. 1909 He may come out
for the Presidency in the meantime
but he does not want to lose the Presi-
dency and the Senatorship too. If he
is not nominated at the next national
convention T1ne wants to stay where he
is. He does not care TO leave to the
suntutored voters of Chic the question
whether he is to remain in the Senate.
They may have become impregnated
with the idea that he is friend of the
poor railroads and a guide to corpora
tions harassed by Roosevelt.
Burton, however. is perfectly ready
to submit to the majestic will of the
people Of Ohio in the matter of Sena-
torship. He thinks that he would be
an admirable successor to Foraker. If
Roosevelt or Taft is inaugurated on
March 4. 1909. Burton thinks that ii
would be much more becoming in Ohio
to have a Senator sworn In on the
same day who will be in entire har-
mony with the new administration. So
he intends at the proper time to sug-
gest TO the people of Ohio that they
speak for themselves in the matter.
There Is no telling what kind of muss
will follow such suggestion The
toxin of direct primaries and election
of Senators by the people is virulent.
contagious, infectious and apparently
incurable. If the people of Ohio be-
come infected it may affect even the
Presidency. Burton triumphant for the