The Washington times., 1908-01-06
TAFT-FORAKEk FIGHT
IN BUCKEYE POLITICS
SHOWS LEADERS, FORCE
Secretarys Followers Say Ohio Senator Had No Inten-
ton of Making Test of Supremacy When He
Issued Challenge.

adopted by the State central committee
for the primaries in that State, and the
possibility of the appearance in the ma
uOnal convention of a contesting dele
CATION representing the faction headed
by Senators Dick and Foraker. the
Buckeye States political situation has
suddenly assumed even more signih-
canoe than IN the past.
This new importance Of Ohlo's en-
tirely local fight has been regarded as
Justifying a somewhat careful analysis
Of the situation there, and The Times
today presents this.
1t is d reveiw and an analysis. pre-
pared by partisan Of Secretary Taft,
and making no pretens.On Of being
anything else. It is given as such, be
cause for is purpose it is regarded as
an excellent statement Of the Taft
view.
No Serious Intentions.
There is the best OF evidence that the
Ohio Senators had no intention OF
making a serious fight for supremacy
In the Ohio Republican STATE conyen-
ton that is to select AMI instruct four
delegates at large 10 the Chicago con
venuon- It is conceded frankly from
sources inside the Senatorial faction
that this faction is a present minority
OF the party Of Ohio, and that there
has been no expectation of turniugit into
a majority, either in the State con-
vention or on the district delegation.
The nope OF Foraker and Dick has been,
ana stiH is. TO capture enough district
delegates for boast TO the world that
gr.rf RafaerG
Two district delegates would be
enough to DO this. four would be bet
ter, six would be a triumph for their
strategy, which is based on the tTadi-
ton that candidates for the PTesl-
Dental nomination have no cuauce IN
less support from their home State is
solid.
Mckinley and Hanna, threatened with
with such a split. compromised with
Foraker at a STATE convention in
GAINESVILLE in 1885 III which Foraker was
allowed 10 name Lue State ticket, the
State committee, and promised the
Senate seat, which ne now holds. John
Sherman did not treat with Foraker
and the latter worked hard TO ruin
Sherman's Presidential candidacy. After
Mckinley and Hanna had treated with
Foraker and carried out their part or
the bargain. the Fabian one engineered
the bolt Of Robert +. McNissOn against
the candidacy OF Hanna for the SEN
ate. This combination Of Foraker Re
publlcans with Democratic members OF
the legislature all but succeeded. At
the end however. Foraker refused his
cOuntenauCe to MCkissOn and his per
sOnal lieutepant, Charles kurtZ, and
slid down convenient fire escape
plea OF mot guilty" but what the
friends OF Hanna and Mckinley called
"FOraker's tread cherry" was the basis
for a fractional feud among Ohio Re
pubEcans that continued 10 Hanna s
death.
Member of Faction.
Secretary Taft vas a member Of the
Hanna-McKinley faction. and the late
President sent him 10 the Philippines.
Taft had been a Sherman man before
that. Apparently he did not like what
he had seen OF compromises with For
aker. At any rate ne let his candidacy
proceed without an offer OF tribute TO
concIIiate tie stormy petrol Of Ohio
politics. Foraker started his old-time
tactics to remind Taft that he had for
gotten something, and then made a
demonstration in force 10 bring the
Secretary of War to time.
II Foraker had kept quiet there IS
good reason to believe that he would
not have been disturbed AFTER ms
bluff however, he had 70 MAKE gOOur
since Taft and his friends paid no at
tentfOn to him and the result IS that
the Ohio Senator has lost his seat and
nut himself outside the pale or MS
party at home. Having Outlawed HIM
self so inadvertently. Foraker IS deter
mined - play the blind samson ana
pull down the pillars that shall bring
down the house roof, buryIng the IaIL
boom in the ruins.
1t seems hard for Eastern politicians
TO appreciate that situations may arse
IN which the most able Senator'S ma
their home States hostile 10 them.
Foraker S. suffering now from the years
Of earnest preaching against MN anu
all his works conducted by pOHIlcdl
prophets OF the MCKinley-Hauna school.
Because Senator Charles Dick found
an alliance with Foraker a necessity
in 1905, when Representative T. i. Bur
ton attacked the Senators in the Dayton
convention. IL does not follow that DICK
carried the Hanna faction into the For
aker camp. Many or them, llke IaIt.
remained irrecOnCilables. In recent
years Foraker has become more and
more a resident of Washington and de-
voted less and less time and attention
TO Ohio. His old lieutenants, coming
here 70 confer with him, found IL i'm
possible to get his ear or even to see
him in many cases.
Uphill Fight.
It was an uphill Aght. az best. for the
Foraker faction 10 keep its formation
during its years OF disfavOr under the
Mckinley Administration, and the indif-
ference Of the leader completed a real
decentralization. An Ohio politician who
was present at the meeting OF the Ohio
League Of Republican Clubs Committee
which indorsed Foraker for the Presi-
dency. described the gathering in the
words OF Ezekial. the prophet; 40.
stood in a valley OF dry bones" There
has long been dissatisfaction with For
aker in Ohio. Years ago he figured in
the passage Of a fifty-yeaT street car
franchise bill by the Legislature that
brought an uuroar Of condemnation He
has represented franchise corporations
continually before the Ohio supreme
court, and his hand has been suspected
in mysterious bills presented to the
Legislature from corporation sources.
An understanding OF these ctrcum-
stances is necessary TO a proper APP
probation of the unpOpularity Foraker
brought upon himself by his fight on
the railroad rate bill. IT was not so
much that he opposed this particular
bill as that his attitude was accepted
as a final and complete confirmation Of
old suspicious, as a final proof that
his sympa thies were all corporation. The