The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-08-02
pEACE In OHIO.

Taft and Foraker are going TO com
promise, after all, II appears. In Ohio
there is to be a meeting of the state
central committee. Each candidate
has been claiming that he would be
endorsed by that committee 1t APP
pears that both are right and that
both will be, as was predicted when
Boss Cox announced that harmony
would prevail endorsed for office.
Taft will be endorsed for the presi-
dency and Foraker for the senatorial
toga. At all events this Is the sum-
mary of the prospective meeting next
Tuesday which is now coming over the
wires.
When Taft announced his candidacy
mrs friends enlisted the hostility of
Senator Foraker by declaring that the
issue would be one between the Roose-
welt administration and Foraker, who
had fought the president on the
Brownsville and some other doctrines.
It is now admitted that thus throwing
down the gauntlet to Foraker was an
unwise move and that 1t could bring
but one result-the split of the re-
publican party in Ohio.
1t has also since been learned by
Secretary Taft that a good many of
the friends who let 1t be known early
in the game that the issue was one
between himself and Foraker, were
working the issue for all it was worth
merely because they had ambitions to
step into Foraker's shoes. And while
stirring up the factional fight, these
same friends were trying to get Taft
to pull their chestnuts out of the fire.
Meanwhile Foraker had some
strength behind him, reports to the
contrary Notwithstanding. He never
seriously considered entering the pres
idential race but he did accept the
issue between himself and Taft and
challenged the secretary of war to
abide by the result of primary cleo
ton in the state, which should decide
which one of these two men would be
supported in the republican national
convention for the presidential nomi-
nation. The challenge was accepted
Taft had to fight because If he were
to be considered effectively in the
convention he ought to have his own
state. Foraker had to fight because
losing the battle meant the loss of his
| toga.
Then it dawned on somebody that
there were no funds in the state to
pay for the primary expenses. So
that was out of the question. Boss
Cox came out and announced that
Taft ought to be given the endorse
ment for presidency and Foraker for
senator. That was a compromise. At
first it appeared all right. Foraker
was willing, and apparently Taft was.
But later returns showed that Taft
wasn't. He had been led to believe
that he could have the state regard
less. But Foraker kept on fighting 1t
became apparent that endorsement by
the state committee for one as against
the other meant the success of one
and the defeat of the other in perma.
nent way. Practical politics would
dictate that there was no sense in
tearing the party to pieces because of
the ambition of either man over an
other, or because of their enmity, one
for another. There was and is some.
thing more at stake than the personal
defeat of either. And so, according
to report when the state central com.
mittee meets it is going to endorse
Taft for the presidency and Foraker
for the senatorship, and peace will
reign.
HAYWOOD'S ACQUITTAL.