The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-01-02
Two Parties In Ohio.

Two Parties In Ohio.
Ohio Is TO be a fighting ground, n
real Armageddon. in the preliminary
campaign for the presidency. The
fighting is fiercest In the republican
camp. A republican member of con.
gress from that state said today
at the new Willard hotel that no
Body outside of Ohio appreciated
the bitterness of the feeling between
Foraker and the Taft ia, tions In the
state. He went on to point out that
son for the presidency and there was
Interference from the outside, either
from the White House or from 9TH
er external influences, that man
had been beaten. John Sherman was
the most striking illustration of this
truth, but list of all those thus
handicapped would amount to a po-
litical history of the state. Today
the most popular man on the repub-
lican side in Ohio is Foraker. His
public life has extended through all
the years since the civil war. He
the people of the state has had to
give him. Vie is courageous, frank
and stands openly for the reactionary
policy In his own party and for
what has come to be known as stand
patism. People who disagree with his
convistions admire his character. But
they have in Ohio habit of vot-
ing for Foraker. They have elected
him governor, congressman and sen
ator. without any help from ma
tional administration and to my GER
tain knowledge with a ooyert hostil-
ity of the ckinley administration.
Wherefore he has back of him a
great body OF voters trained to the
Foraker habit
Secretary Taft has the great ad-
vantage of the administration back
of him-provided the administration,
which Is VIGOROUSLY tickle, may not
change its mind. He has the adyan
tage OF having never been candi-
date for elective office of any i'm
portance. 1t Is true that after having
filled place of United States dis
tIict judge, by appointment, he be-
Inaa 81. a.
succeeded. by grace of Boss Cox of
Cincinnati. Every other position he
has held has come to him by APP
pointment and without struggle be-
fore the voters. His political career,
such as II has been, has been as
smooth and placid as his voyage
around the world on United States
men of war at public expense and
through tranquil summer seas.
There may be democratic contests
in Ohio. Some newspapers, not ia
nous for their democracy, have as.
serted that there would be. The Hon.
Judson Harmon of Cincinnati, once
attorney general in the cabinet OF
Grover Cleveland. is easily put for
ward by republican newspapers as
the favorite son of the state. Like
everyone else MIR. Harmon has a per
feet right To aspire to n democratic
presidential nomination and his
friends have an equal right to en-
courage him in it. True 1t has been
some years since Mr.. Harmon has
been heard OF AS a soldier in the
ranks, Of even as lieutenant or a
captain. One recalls him as a men,
ber of the Cleveland cabinet who
was not strongly In accord with the
party in 1896. One does not remem-
ber him as having returned with en-
thusiasm at any time since then.
However strong the state OF Ohio,
however strategetic its position. II
might be well for the friends of
Judge Harmon to consider whether
a man so little identified with ac-
tive democratic politics in the last
twelve years has sufficient ac-
quaintance outside of the state to
make him thoroughly available
candidate for tho nrae idancy