The National tribune., 1908-01-02
SENATOR j. b. FORAKER.
Gen. w. r. Sherman First Nominated Him
for President.


Gen. w. T. Sherman First Nominated Him
for President.
Editor National Tribune: Without any
attempt to detract from the credit given
to the Ohio League Of Republican Clubs
for their enthusiastic Endorsement of
Senator ]. B. Foraker for the Presi-
dency, and without any intention to
overlook the kindly purposes of the gen.
tlemen assembled, it must be said in
truth that the committees from the
Ohio League of Republican Clubs were
not the first to present the name of
Joseph Benson Foraker to the people
of the Nation as a man fitted for and
worthy to be President Of all our peo-
pie.
The distinction of having presented
the name of this gallant soldier and the
credit that comes therefrom Is due to
another soldier, one whose memory
every patriotic American reveres.
Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, for
it was he who first presented the name
of Senator Foraker for the Presidency,
was one of the most loyal of men to his
comrades. Gen. Sherman felt and fire.
quently expressed the sentiment that
Joseph Benson Foraker was destined to
fill the highest Office in the gift of a free
people.
In his own dramatic and forceful way
Gen. Sherman made clear his views
along this line, in speech he delivered
in Music Hall, Cincinnati. at the 22d
meeting of the Army of the Tennessee,
Sept. 25, 1889. 1t was remarkable that
very nearly 20 years after the dramatic
presentation of Forakers name the
American people should be so earnestly
considering his candidacy. and it is also
remarkable that Foraker's name comes
at a time which makes him the last
hope for a President from among the
ranks of the soldiers of the war of the
rebellion. If Foraker is not nominated
and elected President next year the last
of the veterans of the civil war who
are available for this great distinction
will have passed the limit of years by
the time the successful man shall have
served his allotted two terms.
When Gen. Sherman spoke at the
Cincinnati meeting it was following an
address by Mr. Foraker, who was then
Governor of Ohio. Gen. Hickenlooper,
at the conclusion of Gov. Foraker's ad-
dress. turned about on the stage. and
saw Gen. Sherman entering from the
rear. He brought him forward. and
amid cheers presented him to his old
comrades. After acknowledging the sa-
lutation, extending his respects to the
officers. the men and the comrades pres
ent, he turned toward Gov Foraker
who was seated on the stage, and said:
And to you, Gov. Foraker, I turn
with feelings of love and affection
stronger than any official title you may
bear. great as the State of Ohio may be
in your own estimation or in the esti-
nation OF the world, for you are one of
us body and soul
well do / remember you. my young
friend or boy, as you came thru the
pine woods that day in North Carolina,
your horse covered with lather like a
soldier knight, and reported to me the
message from your General, S1ocum.
Now, my friends. there is nothing in
life more beautiful than the soldier. A
knight errant with steel casque, lance in
hand, has always commanded the ad-
miration Of men and women. The mod
ern soldier is his legitimate successor
and you, my comrades, We're not hire
lings. you never were, but knight er-
rants transformed into modern soldiers,
as good as they were and better.
81 tell you that that young man, now
Governor of Ohio, and welding great
power, was to me that day in the pine
woods a beautiful sight, tho he was
covered with mud, not fit to be present
ed to an audience like this, a mere boy
as / then thought, sent with mans
message, and delivering it like a man
iIIu al SoIulti. FiDUl ti:dt udy 10 IlliS i
have watched his upward career with
the interest and affection of father to
his son. / have been many times a
guest at his house. and often have re-
ceiyed from him marks of kindness.
have learned from books and converSa-
ton that since the war he has been to
college, that he has acquired classical
knowledge. mathematical and other
good knowledge, so that when he has
sinn n sneak he has thiC
ing, he goes right to the point; no going
around the circle with him. his skir-
mish line straightforward; no lodging
or getting behind a hill or behind log.
81 tell you, comrades, that Gen. Fo-
raker learned a lesson in war as good
as any he ever learned at college, and
that is, when he has anything to say he
says it like man and stands by it like
a man.
Il wish You (turnfng to Gov. Forak-
err all honor, all glory, all fame
wish to see you rise to the highest po-
sition the American people can give"
Since the more recent announcement
of the Foraker candidacy there has
come cry from old soldiers every
where that the boy who carried the
message to Gen. Sherman, the last hope
Of the Grand Army of the Republic for
one more President. great as a warrior,
great as statesman. greater in the
affections of the people. shall be called
for the highest honor in the gift of q
free people.
This sentiment is expressed in the
following letter from Private Dalzell:
Washington, d. c., Nov. 80, 1907.
while my support may be so insig-
nificant as to cause a smile at the pub
lie statement of a matter of so little
Importance, nevertheless that support
will be given cordially and unreservedly
to Senator Foraker. And this out of
no special objection to any of his many
distinguished competitors for the Re-
publican nomination for the Presidency
Not at ALI They are all honorable men
1t is not that / love them less but Fo-
raker more. 7 like him because he is
my personal friend, but more because
he is my cOmrade of the Grand Army
of the Republic and a notably gallant
one and the best cOmrade l shall ever
see in the White House. He is an Ohio
man and so am I, and for that ] should
prefer him to any one outside of Ohio
of course. But that reason is only equal
in force and effect to the like reason I
should have to support Fairbanks or
Taft But they were not my comrades
in what the President so forcibly char
acteIizes as the great war; and that
turns the scale to Foraker Now, T
have said all a poor private citizen may
be allowed to say to the press and to
the country. and it would not amount
to hill of beans if it were not to be
seconded as it will be- by every colored
man and cemrade and their sons-more
than 100000 American voters-before
the sun sets to-day. Private DalZelI"-
W. L. Curry COlum bus q