Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-04-08

eral SiOcdEss when 1t became necessary
for some one to carry message to
General Sherman several miles distant.
The young Buckeye captain was chosen
for the task and made so difficult and
thrilling ride that Sherman in later
years referred to it in most compli-
mentary way and said it ought to
make Foraker president. But will it?
Fight of His Life.
Joseph Benson Foraker was born on.
an Ohio farm in 1876 In 1862 he was
acting as a clerk in a country Office
when he ran away to go to the front.
He was brought back, but was after
ward allowed to enlist. serving with
distinction till the end of the war; He
graduated from Cornell university in
1869 and the same year was admitted
to the bar. beginning the practice in
Cincinnati. He decided to keep out of
politics, except in speaking campaigns,
declining nomination to the legisla-
ture. In 1879, however, he consented
to run for judge of the superior court,
considering this as in the line of his
profession. After three years service
on the bench he resigned because of Ill
health. In 1888 he was nominated for
governor of Ohio, but defeated. Two
years later he ran again and was elect
ed and was reelected in 1887. When he
ran for fourth term in 1889, however,
he was defeated In 1897 he entered
the United States senate and succeeded
himself in 1903. His term expires next
year. when the Taft supporters say
that he must be eliminated. On that
proposition Foraker is now making the
fight of his life.
The enemies of the Ohio senator, and
they are numerous and earnest, say
that there have been two Forakers.
One was the young, dashing, public
spirited captain, judge and governor
who captivated the young Republicans
| of the country back in the. eighties.
Then came the transformation. I'm
Uttered by his defeat in 1889 and
heavily in debt, Foraker deliberately
| sold himself to the corporations; so say
| his foes. He did this for the double
purpose of raising money to pay his
debts and Of gaining support to keep
himself in politics. When Foraker was
| fighting Hanna and Mckinley in Ohio,
the Chicago Times-Herald began q Sc
ries of first page scare head double lead
ed articles showing him up to the coun-
| try as lobbyist. TWAS the same charge
made against Grover Cleveland after
| he was defeated for reelection in 1888.
! The iron entered his soul, said his
critics. He concluded the people were
| ingrates and as consequence made an
| alliance with the special privileges
| both for the purpose of helping his
private fortunes and of giving him q
further lease of political life. The an
| swer by the friends of both men is
that they only resumed the practice of
their profession, that of the law, and If
they were retained by the corporations
it was in the capacity of attorneys.
1t is hard sometimes to tell where the
role of attorney leaves off and that of
lobbyist begins.
In the case OF Senator Foraker, al
least, one thing, is certain. He is nc
longer in debt He may not be mil
lionaire, but he has one of the fines;
homes in Washington, another com
Portable residence on Walnut Hills
Cincinnati, and plenty of the good
things Of this world
Mrs. Foraker was schoolmate OF
her husband and is woman of strong
personality.
There are few more familiar figures
than Joseph B. Foraker in state and
national conventions. In his congress
sional biography, which is otherwise
quite modest. he recounts that he twas
chairman of the Republican state con
ventions of Ohio for 1886, 1890, 1896
and 1900 and delegate at large from
Ohio to the national Republican con
ventions of 1884, 1883, 1892, 1896, 1906
and 1904; was chairman of the Ohit
delegations of 1884 and 1888 and pre-
sented to both of these conventions thu
name Of Hon. John Sherman for nomi
nation for the presidency; in the con
ventions of 1892 and 1896 served al
4 chairman of the committee of resolu
/ tons and as such reported the plat
form each time to the convention; pre-
scented the name of William Mckinley
to the conventions of 1896 and 1901
for nomination to the presidency
There! If anybody can beat that for /
convention record he is entitled to Ri
up the president or the heir apparent
he feels like 1t.
No Question of His Courage.
On the stump the Ohio senator ha
few equals. Witty, magnetic, full o
vim and of fine personal appearance
he has earned the title of "ForaEe
the Magnificent" In the senate b
has never had access to the politica
plum tree, yet without this necessar,
aid to the small statesman he has bel,
i his devoted followers and has mad
himself worldwide Dlme second t
that of no ipember of the United State
senate. OF his courage there can b
no question. While most of the ser
i. ators are known to be in secret oppc
sition to the president, Foraker is tn
only one, at least on the majority sid
\ a