The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-11
Without Precedent That He
 Should Name Successor
ABIDE BY PEOPLES CHOICE
Was Down On Programme at Canton to Speak On "Civic Pride" But Tells of His Work as
 Senator.

Canton, O.. April 10.-In the presence oe 1900 people Senator Joseph B. Foraker at the auditorium tonight delivered an ad- dress in which he defended his action as a servant of the people of Ohio, and de- clared he Is willing to abide by their de- cison in the future.
 The occasion of the address was the annual banquet of the Canton board of trade. Senator Foraker was down on the programme to deliver an address on "Civic Pride," but his speech was large- ly directed to his work as d senator and g declaration that he means to always do his best in his own way. He was received with much enthusiasm as he stepped for ward to speak.
 Senator toraker discussed published statements regarding the Presidents attitude toward the senator's speech at this time. replied to publca- ton, mentioning him as one of an and-Roosevet combination. reviewed the investigation of the discharge of negro soldiers on account of trouble at Brownsville, Tex. reiterated his views regarding recent railroad legislation, pro- tested against the infringement by one branch of the government of the rights
 
 representatives of the people in Congress arc accountable only to the people and are not properly subject to any other iniuence"; denied the right of anyone ex- cept his constituents to call him to &C., count, and sounded a note of warning against increased surveillance of business men, who need no moral regeneration"
 He quoted a published report that President Roosevelt has d ~.l a dead line for Senator foraker." and that If he attacks President Roosevelt Presi- den. Roosevelt will be heard from in no uncertainties"
 Senator Foraker said.
 The wicked flee when no man nur- sdeth. I have not forecasted the char acter of anr 1neeehes I-4--a i.. ss7-s-ai s=-s i- niake, and if | ls1u, 1t would not seeNi inc edible to the average mnd that such a story could be anything more than a notwithstanding pipe dream of an over ambitious correspondent
 That the President of the United States should become personally engaged in political contest to determine hiS successor is without precedent. unless 1t be the bad precedent set by Andrew Jackson as to Martin Ven Buren.
 '"'nat he would e"ter upon such a strng- glo with a declaration that he is to set limitations upon freedom of speech of l. 'se who may differ from him and they are to disregard those Limitations at their peril, is without precedent even in the ep of Jackson and is so inconsistent with the dignity of his high office and the proprietes always to be observed tha I feel it a duty toward the Presi- dent himself to enter for him, on my own motion, a disclaimer of all responsibility for such a publication.
 "rrhe time has not yet come and mo- body knows that better than the Presl- dent himself when dead lines can be yIal.. .t. F., l,..1N ..laa nor has the time come when any real man would respect them if they were drawn.
 So far as l am personally concerned. | I shall always speak with malice toward none. but according to my convictions, | whenever and wherever l may have oc- | cas.on to speak at all.
 1 Mr Foraker characterised as a sort of companion piece" published statement of the President to his friends as to com | bination to do him up" for his attl- tude towards Wall street. F. II. Harrl- man, J. B. Foraker and John D. Rocke- | feIler.
 "In view of this publication" said Mr. | Forake. T trust l may without mpro- l priety say that until 1t was given out | at Washington a few days ago, I never | heard tell of any combination. or trust. | or conspiracy to oppose the President in anything; much less did I ever hear of | the so-called s5,000,000 conspiracy of which 1 W. have heard so much during the last week.
 1 'I call attention to all this with par ticuarity, so that at the outset such wild, reckless, crazy stories may be put into the class of campaign literature. where they properly belong
 But these stories are but samples of many others, all of which taken together. | seem to have for their object the dissemi- l ma of ba | a a | the policies of President Roosevelt. 1 No man every occupied the White House, who has been identified with so many legislative measures as President Roosevelt He Is a tireless worker. Ilo is constantly doing, or causing to be done something of great importance. This is true, not only as to domestic, but also as to foreign affairs. He has been pres- dent since September, 190l almost six years.
 During all that time l have supported all measures that have come before the Senate of the United States for con- sderation with which he has been in any way identified, except only three.
 "I differed from him as to joint state hood for New Mexico and Arizona. in- slstlng that they should not be forced into the Union as one state, unless a majority of the citizens of each territory might so vote. The proposition l favored was adopted by Congress and the people Of the territories voted against joint state hood. That was proposition about which men might well differ. There was no occasion for any bitterness of feeling in connection with it's consideration and there was none on my part, and 1 never heard that there was any on the part of the President
 'I was unable also to agree with the President as to conferring the rate mak- ing power upon the interstate commerce commission, as provided in the Hepburn law. passed at the first session of the . Fifty-ninth Congress I was not op- posed to the proposition. however, be- cause I did not want government control and supervision of railroads engaged in $ interstate commerce, for l was among
 the first to advocate such a measure,
 but because l thought the Hepburn la
 in particular was both unconstitutional l and unnecessary. and that it was a long 5 and serious step in the wrong direction | as a matter of public policy.
 'I did not believe either that if Con e gress had the power to make rates, 1t had --~--~-~------~~-- ----~>~----->----~->'