New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-11
MIR. TAFT MADE NO DEAL
REJECTED OYERTURES.
WiH Neither hid Nor Oppose Sen
atOr F0raker's REELECTION.
[From The Tribune Bureau

ator and A. l.. Harris for Governor and Chair
| man Walter f. Brown, OF the State Central Com
mittee, has announced that he regards Taft
| the logical choice of the people of Ohio for the
| Presidency" the wholly erroneous impression
| appears 10 have gone abroad that hereafter the
| Taft and Foraker interests will be inextricaby
| involved In many quarters it is assumed that
| the change Of attitude of the Ohio organization
must inevitably lead TO a coalition of the Taft
| and Foraker forces. and in others it is asserted
| that the change is the result of an arrangement
| or deal. despite the fact that it was promptly
| and unequivOcaly announced from Washington
| on Wednesday night that there had been no
| compromise whatever. and that Senator Dick
| also announced in Ohio that there was no COM
promise
| The facts are that the movement to nominate
! Secretary TAFT for President is as wholly sep
arate ard distinct from the efforts of Mr.
| Foraker and his friends to obtain an indorse-
ment OF the Senator for reelection as il ever
was When. some weeks ago, Senator Crane
of Massachusetts, called on Secretary Taft and
on behalf of Senator Foraker, proposed to the
Secretary an alliance, asserting that If Mr. Taft
would ask his friends to support Mr. Foraker in
MS efforts for reelection Mr.. Foraker would
| throw his personal influence and deliver the
| support OF his organization to Mr. Taft's can
didacy for the Presidential nomination Secre-
tary Taft told Mr.. Crane that he would make
no deal whatever. He said he was not fighting
MIR. Foraker and had intention of doing So
On the other hand, he absolutely declined to
ask his friends TO support Mr.. Foraker. The
question Of electing United States Senator was
a state question, Mr. Taft declared, while the
question Of selecting a candidate for the Presi-
dency was matter OF national politics
MR.. TAFTs POSITION UNCHANGED.
From this position Mr.. Taft has never
sweNed and he never will. When Secretary
Taft went into Ohio. after he returned from
Cuba and Panama, the proposition which
he emphasized in conversation with his friends
was that he would not be a party TO any COM
promise and that they must not be When
Messrs, Cox and Brown declared for Mr. Taft
they did wholly of their own voIition Thev
were not asked 10 do so by the Taft forces and
! the TAFT forces do not feel under any obliga-
ton 10 the men who have taken this course not
out OF regard for Secretary Taft. but only be-
cause they had convinced themselves that any
other course must be inimcal To their own in
| terests 1t Is OF course. expected that at the
conference of tho state central and executive
committees, which Chairman Dick of the execu-
tive committee, has called for next Wednesday.
| resolutions similar In effect TO the Cox an
| nouncement will be adopted. and II is believed
by many politicians here that the organization
forces Will then hope and seek 70 profit by Mr..
Tafts popularity 10 promote Mr. Forakers de-
sire for reelection.
The Taft forbes viii not, however, be party
to any scheme either to promote or to retard
Mr.. Foraker's interests They stand exactly
where they stood when Mr.. Taft outlined his
position to Senator Crane. And the machinery
by which Ohio elects its delegates 10 the ma
tional convention makes this practicable The
supporters of Secretary Taft, in so far as he
can influence them. will refrain from doing any
thing which might prejudice Senator Foraker's
chances for reelection. but they will also do
nothing to promote them. Beginning, probably
as early as next January. the districts twenty
one in ALL will begin TO hold conventions which
will nominate delegates 10 the national con-
vention. These conventions are called for that
purpose and to express the choice of the party
for national committeeman. They do not elect
delegates TO the state convention and they
nominate u candidate for Congress only when
there is no contest. When two or more members
OF party aspire 20 represent the same district
in the national House of Representatives a sep
arate convention is held. These district con-
ventions Will elect forty-two delegates TO the
national convention. and the Taft leaders are
confident that each OF the forty-two will be In
structed 10 cast his ballot for William H. Taft
With the district delegates instructed there
can be little question TO whom the four dele
gates-at-large. who are nominated at the state
convention. will support These district con-
ventions will therefore insure the solid dele
cation of Ohio in the national convention. and
there is now every reason to expect that the
delegation VIII cast It's vote for Mr.. Taft.
THE SENATORsHIP CONTEST.
The contest for the Senatorship will come at
the primaries which nominate the members OF
the Legislature. and at the state convention.
C.
for reelection. The state convention. which
will be held in Ohio next spring. will be the first
under the law. by the provisions OF which
candidates will be nominated for every state
office Obviously. the principal contest In the
selection Of delegates to the state convention will
be over the state offices. The question of in
dorsing Senator Foraker for reelection will be
secondary matter. At the same time, Mr..
Foraker Will doubtless make vigorous fight to
obtain the Endorsement of the convention, and II
Is not expected that any Taft man will do any
thing to oppose his efforts, Certainly the Taft
leaders will not oppose him.
But. really. the great contest which Mr.. For
aker and his friends will have to make will be
at the primaries which nominate the members
OF the Legislature and In these the Taft forces
will have no interest. 1t Will be seen therefore.
that Secretary Tafts desire to keep the question
OF his nomination for the Presidency entirely
separate and distinct from Mr.. Foraker's efforts
to be reelected to the Senate Is wholly feasible,
that the course OF Messrs. Cox, Brown and Dick
has not caused and will not cause Mr.. Taft and
his friends TO deviate in any detail from the
course they originally mapped out, and that the
action OF Mr.. Forakers friends clearly indicates
that they have convinced themselves of Mr..
Tafts growing personal popularity In Ohio.
SENATOR FORAKER IN WASHINGTON.