The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-18
Republican Chairman Declares Himself UnquaIifledIy
FORAKER LOSES CONTROL
Leaders and People Overwhelmingly Wish War Secretary-May De- mand Expression In Popu-
 lar Convention.

Toledo. O., May 17-Chairman Walter F. Brown of the Ohio state republican central committee, today broke his retl- cence regarding the Taft-Foraker imbrog- lio. He declared himself as unqualifiedly for Taft. said the republicans of Ohio are solidly in favor of his candidacy and that Senators Foraker and Dick owe It to themselves and their friends to settle the report that they are secretly sup porting Vice President Fairbanks
 He declared that the sentiment for Tart is so strong that if further opposed or in any way misrepresented by Sem ators Foraker and Dick. 1t will demand expression in a popular convention.
 Chairman Brown is not given to ex- travagant talk. He is rather extravagant in the opposite direction. He discusses only matters with which he Is familiar and when the conversatlon turns upon subjects where is not certain of his facts, he loses his voice. His opinion of the Ohio situation. as relating to Secretary Taft, was summed up in this sentence:
 There is not to my knowledge a re- publican leader whose prominence is ac- knowledged throughout Ohio who favors any candidate for the presidency. except Secretary Taft"
 There are eighty eight counties in this state," he continued. q have direct in- formation from the leading politicians in three-fourths of them and every man is for Taft. I have not as exact informa- ton from the remaining counties. but [ know they, too, are or Taft. There are, Of course, men in various parts of the state indebted to Senators Foraker and Dick. Some of these are, as is natural, little noisy in behalf of the senators, but even among them there is not, in my
 
 but Taft. What is much mora important, however, is the fact that the people ot Ohio are overwhelmingly in favor of Taft. There is not the slightest doubt af this, and anyt odg Syle does not know srissil- norant of tn A bal political conditions in Ohio"
 It was suggested to Mir. Brown that a belief exists with politicians in some other states that Senators Foraker and Dick control the state party machinery and that the power of the organization ia behind them.
 There was never a greater mistake than that said Mir. Brown. "The sen ators do not control the party machinery and they never have swayed and they dc not now sway. the state central com mittee in any of It's actions It Is the ab- solute truth, as every Ohio politician knows, that the committee has never been under their control at any time since It's membership was announced. The organ ization is with Taft"
 There Is one thing I would like to mention," said the chairman. "and that Is that nobody who has assumed any re- sponsibilty for the Taft movement has expressed any desire to eliminate Senator Foraker from politics. If such schemes have been made by anybody they are en- tirely unauthorized by any man who Is connected with the Taft campaign. We desire to eliminate democrats from poll tics, as far as we are able. and that Is the extent of cur desires in that direction I wish very much that the Associated Press would make that statement to the public at large"