The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-30
Senator FOrakerW1ites Letter
to State Committee
In Effort to Stop Endorsement
of the War Secretary.
THE PARTY is DIVIDED
He Says, on the Matter of Re-
vising the Tariff.
Taft's Candidacy Would Serve
to Widen the Breach.

Cincinnati, July 30.-That it is i'm
possible for him under present condi-
tons to favor the candidacy of Secre-
tary of War Taft is the statement of
United States Senator Foraker in a
letter given out for publication The
letter is addressed to Q. B. McCov of
CoShocton, a member of the Repub-
lcan state committee, and is intended
| as the expression of the senator's
views to be presented when the COM
nittee meets at Columbus. The in
tervieW of Governor Harris in which
he faVOrs the endorsement of Foraker
for senator and Taft for president and
encourages the suggestion of his own
name for another term as governor
and various recent publications are
taken as the text for the letter which
is as follows:
IT learn from the newspapers and
otherwise that a resolution is likely to
be offered at the next meeting of the
central committee to be held in Co.
Iumbus, endorsing Secretary Taft as
Ohio's candidate for the presidency
and 1 have seen it stated that a reso-
luton is likely also to be offered en-
dOrSing me as a candidate to be my
own successor in the senate of the
United States and in todays papers is
published what purports to be an au-
thorized interview with Governor
Harris favoring this proposed action
pressing friendship and good will for
myself with respect to a continuation
of my. public service but disclaiming
desire to have himself endorsed as his
own successor in the governors office.
I'm this same interview he an
nCunces, as he has heretofore an
bounced, that he is in favor of re-
vision of the tariff.
Inasmuch as you are a member of
the state central committee L take the
Cd n
you the whole committee and all the
Republican voters of Ohio, upon the
question so brought to our attention.
Belongs to the Voters.
ION a number of occasions hereto
fore 1 have stated that. so far as 1
have been individually concerned, as a
citizen of Ohio and a member of the
Republican party, did not think this
question should be determined except
only in accordance with the expressed
wish Of the Republican voters of
Ohio, and that in view of the contro-
vcrsieS that have arisen the Repub-
lican voters of Ohio should be given
en- opportunity to be heard before any
action is taken by any Committee or
anybody not chosen by the people to
represent them in regard to this mat
ter - -----.~- r.
I'm view of what Governor Harris
has seen fit to say 1 trust 1t is not out
of place for me to call attention to my
former expressions of this view, and
to report that 1 do not think the state
central committee has any authority
to pass on any such subject and [. do
not think it would promote party har-
mony for it to undertake to. anticipate
the Republican voters of the state by
speaking in advance of action by
them.
81 do, not think anybody as Cover
nor Harris we'll says would regard
such action as binding. L am sure I
would not and L do not think it could
in any way promote party good in our
state or advance the cause of Repub-
licanism either in Ohio or elsewhere.
an addition to these considerations
1 think it is premature and bad policy
to undertake in this way to inject the
presidential question and national
politics into Ohio politics at time
when we are concerned with our mu-
nicipal elections with respect to which
it should be the desire of every Re
publican to subordinate everything
that might stand in the way of united,
harmonious and successful Republi-
can effort.
''When we are through with the
elections of this year we can take up
in an orderly way and without injury
to any interest the next business to
be transacted the settlement of our
presidential preferences.
Should Heed Warnings
1T shall at that time as 1 have here
tofore announced request the state
central committee to order in accor-
dance with the spirit of the declara-
ton of the platform adopted by the
convention that assembled at Dayton
last year, that delegates for the next
shall be selected in all the
counties at primaries to be duly held
under the law as it now stands or
such law as may be then in force, if
there should be in the meanwhile any
change in the statutes of Ohio appli-
cable thereto. In this way we free
ourselves entirely from the oft re-
peated charges that have been made
with too much ground for them that
the action of our state convention in
recent years has not been governed
by the voters who are supposed to be
represented by the delegates but by
bosses and small coteries
with selfish interests in view. We
have had admonttfon and warning
that the people are justly displeased
with such practices We should not
disregard these warnings.
Il learn also from the newspapers
and otherwise that it is claimed, as a
reason for the proposed action, that
Secretary Taft is the only candidate