Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-24
TAFT PLANS co AWRY
History of the Involved Ohio
Conflict.
IS A TALE OF FOUR CITIES
Conspiracy by Administration to
Pocket the Senatorship.
HOW PLOT HAS M1SCARRIED
Taft Boom Has Failed in the State
and Boss Cox Is Still in
the Saddle.
HOW PLOT HAS M1sCARRIED
Special Dispatch to The Star.

| light of the Endorsement of Senator For
aker bv committees of the State League
| of Republican Clubs. the fact remains
that the meeting and its actions show
that there are in the Foraker organiza-
ton in the state a large number of men
who know the game Of politics and are
ready to play it in the interests of their
| old chief.
Aside from the number in attendance
upon the committee meeting, the spirit of
| the meeting was most significant. There
was the note of defiance and determine
/ ton in 1t. Among the cheers that broke
forth at the conclusion of the vote on
the resolutions could be heard such cries
| as Let them read that at the White
House" and Send a copy of them to ST.
| Petersburg
On the whole. the situation as between
Foraker and Taft in Ohio is now back
| just where it was four months ago. The
state central COMMITTEES has Endorsed Taft
| and the state league of clubs has Endorsed
| Foraker. For the next few months a
hard fight will go on. with Commissioner
Vorys directing the Taft interests and
Charles L. Kurtz looking out for the in
terests of Senator Foraker.
Toward the close of the last session of
Congress indefinite rumors and reports
but intangible were spoken in high places
at the capital which related to the al
legged differences between President
Roosevelt and Senator Foraker. These
reports were in effect that the President
purposed to drive Senator Foraker out Of
politics.
These reports were so persistent and re-
peated in such high places that President
Roosevelt finally acknowledged to United
States senators that 1t was his purpose to
eliminate Senator Foraker as factor In
national and Ohio republican state poll
tics. Then 1t was that Murray Crane.
followed by Senator Dick of Ohio and
others, sought to compose the situation.
but their efforts were in vain. Senator
Foraker had neither suggested nor solic-
tied the services of an intermediary, but
when made acquainted with the efforts of
friends he expressed willingness to abide
by any arrangement that might be for
the best interests of the party.
Consequent upon these efforts at peace
making or as sequence sprang up the
controversy and contest in Ohio between
Senator Foraker and Secretary of War
Taft. the President himself guiding the
destinies of the latter. with the purpose
primarily of destroying Senator Foraker
Tale of Four Cities.
| To learn the real situation from an Ohio
point of view your correspondent visited
several Ohio cities. Inquiries. statements
and combinations reveal the s. cret, selfish,
personal motives and political ambitions
| of certain coterie of republican party
| leaders, as well as all their plans and pur-
| poses to descredit and destroy certain
/ other party leaders distinguished in the
public service and prominent in the ma
tional councils Of the party, that they
| themselves may become exalted and glori-
| fed of men.
| plain recital Of the facts of this story
| learned in the cities visited, which may
| properly be designated "a Tale of Four
| Cities" unfolds a federal conspiracy for
| gain and fame that rivals anything in the
| history of American politics. as full of cum
| ming, intrigue, deception as 1t is and al
| ways has been.
| The four cities contributing to this in
| tensely interesting story are Washington
and Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus.
Ohio, with Secre tary Of War Taft. Repre-
| sentative Theodore E. Burton Of Cleve-
| land. Representative Nicholas Longworth
of Cincinnati and former Mayor Julius
Fleischmann of Cincinnati the principal
actors in a play that was TO be staged as
a tragedy, but which now seems likely to
become nothing more than a comedy OF
the kind that reveals only the weaknesses,
frailties and vanities of men, with even
the man Of iron nerve and iron will cut
ting sorry plight in the end.
Back Of this conspiracy. as 1t is called
is the purpose to destroy and dethrone
; Senator Foraker whose occupancy Of one
Office and the fear of lurking ambition
within him to fill another stood in the
| way or the plans anu purposes ana d real
ization of the hopes and ambitions of the
others named. Taft wanted to be Pres.
ident; Longworth wanted to succeed For
, aker in the Senate; Burton. too. wanted
the first senatorial vacancy for himself
but he was told that he would have tt
await the expiration of Senator Dick:
term of office. and Fleischmann, when al
the other things shall have been accom-
plished. wants to succeed Longworth a:
th. representative in Congress from thu
first (CincinnatD district.
Secretary Taft at first questioned hi!
own availability as a candidate for Pres
ident, but reluctantly Joined hanus witt
the others. and with all parties agreed a!
. to the general purpose the administration
press was turned upon and against Sen
ator Foraker who bore the criticisms un
complainingly. apparently content tina
time would Justify his course and vindi
cate his honor, which had even been as
> sailed. It is said 1t was with great dea
Of reluctance that Secretary Taft becam,
party to this so-called conspiracy, hav
ing bit of gratitude in his heart fo
Senator Foraker. who. when governor O.
Ohio, gave him his first political appoint
, ment as Judge on the superior cour
bench at Cincinnati, but the promises o
. friends and possibilities Of the future wer
, SO alluring that he deserted and aban
doned his early benefactor and friend Of /
I lifetime. giving his sanction to all tn
plans that had been laid before him, an,
. permitted his presidential candidacy to b
projected.
The plans of the Taft people hav
{ suffered two severe defeats. FIrs,
| they failed in their efforts to Sc
cure control Of the state organiza
! ttoa at the Dayton convention las
, year. and in their efforts to strengthel
themselves in the cities Of the state the
suffered humiliating defeats in Cleveland
Z | Toledo and Dayton. In the f1rst-name
y city Representative Burton, who was t
z | strengthen the Taft organization by sc
II curing control OF the offices in that city
3 was beaten for mayor by Tom L. Johnso
81 by nearly 10000. In Toledo the repub
y licans defeated Walter Browns organiza
Z ton candidate for mayor by a decisiv
majority. and in Dayton the republican
& Of the city elected the entire democrati
" city ticket rebuke to c. W. Beisel
= the party boss in that city. To sum 1t W
= Burton was broken in Cleveland Brow
Y beaten in Toledo and Beiser bounced i
3 Dayton, and in each OF -th"se cities tn
" republican majority is from 5000 to S,0Ot
& Taft's managers were greatly humiliate
~ by the results, the newspapers of tn
e state adding insult to injury by callin
n special attention to them and their bear
e ing upon the pending presidential con
n test in Ohio, the prominence Of Burton
y Brown and Beiser in the movement
& against the two Ohio senators also Civ
" ing emphasis to thess adverse results l
r three of the important cities of the state
n and the only ones. in fact, where pres
q Dental politics cut any figure.
r. In Cincinnati and Columbus where Il,
y republican candidates for mayor wer
elected. the contests were decided upo