The Washington bee., 1907-12-07
SenatorFoTakGr Accepts
ms LETTER TO OHIO REPUBLI-
CANS A MANLY DEFENSE OF
HIS PRINCIPLES.

ID 10 ANA-N - A~-~r''
Senator Foraker'S Letter.
tinted States Senate, November a8
.gaz-Hon. Conrad J. Mattern, Vice
President Ohio Republican League, Day
,an. Ohio. =.
Dear Sir: | write 10 acknowledge
trr receipt OF your letter OF the 22d
instant with copy enclosed, as stated,
af resolutions adopted by the advisory
and executive committees of the Ohio
Republican League of Clubs at a JOINT
meeting held at the Neil House IN Co
muhus, November 20, denOuncing the
imposition that / should be "eliminat-
sf" from public life, and relegated 10
private citizenship because IL the dis
charge of my duties as a Senator have
rsrn unable in three instances tn agree
with President Roosevelt, and pledging
me their support as a candidate for re-
election to be my own successor, and
also declaring that ] am their choice
s, q candidate for the presidency.
arm informed that there were ninety
eight members Of the committee on; of
, total membership OF one hundred and
i've present III person or by proxy, and
and that the resolutions were adopted
by unanimous vote, and with much
enthusiasm
The names and addresses OF those
rrc-enr as published in the newpaper,
how thar an cction and counties of the
Stat, we're represented, and that among
fne,. representatives. ore many who have
.r year, been well known to the whole
State a, prominent leaders of the Repub-
Ican party
would not be insensible 10 such
mark of confidence and esteem if / could
nr and ! could not be if I would.
Rat do not want to even appear 20
be candidate for two Offices at the
same time, ond therefore forego the
double honor proposed, and with heart
feI. appreciation accept the support for
tnr presidential candidacy which the
committees have so generously rendered
Nevertheless. I want to say that far
Ivond anything personal to myself, ]
-m gratifed by the action taken becaue
IL is a fiat rebuke to the suggestion that
the office of United States Senator is to
he stripped of all the real honor attached
n it by making its incumbent a mere
agent to register the DEGREES OF some
rolv else instead of the representative
Of State charged with the Constltu-
Gaual duty of lcgislatIng according to
his best Judgment for the welfare OF a
GREAT nation, accountable 10 his con-
-,i,ucucy for his acts and votes, but to
nobody else.
Z regard it of Jar greater Importance
o. uphold and protect the dignity and
usefulness of the Senatorial Office than
that any particular man should be chosen
so h'I It
A. our fathers created It the place is
or, of the mos; important in the gov
erumcut and any man might we'll feel
highly honored to hold it, but if it. IS
g. he degraded into a mere agency, nc
,,If-re>pecting man can desire to hold
i,
not only stand for the broad prin-
oples involved, but also stand ready &c
submit to my constituents for their Judg-
lacnt not only my action in the three
instances when | was unable to agree
with the President, but my entire rec
ord. may have made mistakes, but
no speech or vote or other act will be
found that was not in accordance with
% conscientious Judgment formed by th|
nd of the best light at the time attain
a.le.
Thinks Majority Is VIA Him.
Nv action on the question Of joint
Statehood and in the Brownsville mat
Ter vour committees have approved, as
believe the great majority Of Repub-
leans do everywhere.
There are doubtless yet many who
criuci-e my vote on the Rate Biz! bu
# the assurances with which my mai
0, filed, coming as they do from every
-rction Of the country, are not mislead'
mg, the number of these critics IS rap
idly diminishing
Jn the debates on that measure l toob
pains 10 point out that if the Govern
mcnt took upon itself the duty and re-
>ponsibilty Of making rates, It would
oi necessity have to determine not onll
how much a railroad should be allowed
20 make, but also how much it should
he allowed to expend-how much tol
operation, for extensions, for equipment
and for every other item of necessary
expenditure, all OF which 1t IS lmposSl-
lie Tor a Government to do successfully
and satisfactorily, and that the result
would inevitably be that just at the time
when a rapidly increasing business TOT