Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20

you may rise to the highest position this
American people can give to YOU
And it is for this highest position that
Foraker is now said to be engaged in the
greatest fight of his life. If you ask him
point blank if he is candidate for the
presidency, he will smile good naturedly
and-well, he may talk about the weather.
But make no mistake about Foraker"
said one who has followed the senator's
career in Washington and Ohio. for he
has the Ohio machine well in hand. And
not only has he the Ohio machine, but he
has a good chance of controlling many of
the members of the national republican
machine. He is going to be of the
factors in 1908. Roosevelt name his sue
cessor? No. Roosevelt, since he has been
in Office, has done nothing to build up
machine. He will not cut any figure in the
convention. The men who stand the best
chance today for the republican nomina-
ton are Foraker and Fairbanks
Concerning the Presidency.
When lun came on the second day fol-
lowing Senator Foraker's speech he en-
tered his committee room after the session
and threw himself into big armchair
No. no. he said in answer to my pointed
question; Il am not a presidential candi-
date. Why, man, l don't want the placer
And he raised his hands deprecatingly.
Then he continued, slowly:
There is too grave a responsibility con-
nected with that position"
But, suppostng the convention should
nominate YOU | began.
NO, no. said he. Il don't want it; l
am not seeking it. y
He silent for moment. Then he
added with smile:
I'm thinking of Brownsville just now"
your friends in Ohio, however,
II am doing the best can do for Ohio
right here in the Senate" said he.
But certain issues will arise in 1908
have arisen now-and they must be met by
a forceful candidate In the republican par
ty.'' | said.
Let US meet them in $685. he said with
a smile
A moment later an Ohioan said:
"Out in Ohio we all want Foraker for
President because he is such fighter"
Foraker. the fighter! Always Foraker,
the fighter!
The expression takes one back to the
Cleveland administration, when Foraker
was governor of Ohio. President Cleve-
land expressed the desire that the gov
ernors of all the northern states would
return to the confederate states the flags
captured in the south by union soldiers
When this request came to Foraker, he
said mo rebel flag shall be returned while
| am governor of Ohio
Fought His Way as Lawyer.
From this reference to the flags he re-
ceived the pseudonym Fire Alarm" For
aker. But his career fighter began
long before that. After the war Foraker
fought his way as a lawyer in Cincinnati,
and that he has often said, was one of
the hardest fights he ever had. But he
made so good in that fight that he was ap
pointed judge OF the superior court of
Hamilton county, where he remained for
three years when i'll health forced him to
resign. Then politics crossed his path, and
with this first entrance into politics the
fight in him was brought out, for during
that gubernatorial campaign of 1885, in
which he was the republican candidate,
he was dubbed Fighting joe Foraker,
vigor and victory" There was vim and
vigor, but not victory, for the democratic
nominee. Judge HOadly, also of Cincinnati,
and a close personal friend of Foraker,
was the winner.
Foraker had no intention of going into
politics before he entered that campaign"
said a friend of the senator's the other day.
His whole bent was with the law; but
once he entered the game, it completely
captivated him. 1t had the elements of bat
tie that appealed to him. He has often
told me how the first news of his boom for
governor of Ohio startled him. He bought
a paper in Cincinnati one evening and
boarded street car for home On taking
q seat in the car he opened the paper and
there he staring him in the face In
great scare heads. Foraker for Gov
ernor! He was frightened and hastily
folded the paper and put 1t in his pocket
lest some acquaintance should see the tell
Tale type over Ills ISil DIS IL !
had committed a crime said he, and
that my guilt was published to all the
world. But still there was the fascination
1 could not keep my eyes off the paper. I
took 1t out of my pocket and then. despite
the risk Of being caught red handed, I
devoured every word of the article But
Senator Foraker is not so modest now"
added the friend with a laugh.
Not Deferred by Defeat.
The defeat of Foraker for governor did
not deter him from staying in the political
race. His blood was warmed and he was
all the more eager to make a second at
tempt. So, two years later, he and Hoadly
were again opponents for gubernatorial
honors In Ohio. Foraker had learned
few things during the two years In which
he brooded over his defeat. He had learned
how to make bitter speech. to pick out
the weak spot in his enemy's armor and
to stab him there. 1t was this very knowl-
edge that he had acquired and become an
adept In that won him that second political
battle in Ohio. It 10 that same knowledge