Albuquerque citizen., 1908-06-25
HtRRIcK MAY Be
SELECTED c As
Chairman
Ohloan VIII Bring Element Of
Luck Into Affairs for He Has
the Faculty Of Being Right.

Cleveland, June 25.-Former Gov
ernor Myron H. Herrick, who may be
selected for the Guardianship of the
Republican national committee. will
bring into the campaign a robust ele-
ment Of luck.
For Herrick is proyerbially lucky.
In all his career. financial and po-
litical, he has been pre-eminently
lucky. only once did good fortune
desert him. Then he was defeated
for reelection as governor of OHIO.
When Pattison beat him out in that
campaign by nearly $4,000 votes, the
political wiseacres all over Ohio de-
clared with unhesitating emphasis
that Herrick was dead one Her
rick refused to believe 1t.
He declared that he would be vim
dicated. He went to work for vindi-
cation. If he succeeds in landing
William Howard Taft in the presiden-
tial chair, his vindication will just
about be accomplished.
Herrick's life story is interesting.
He was born 54 years ago on a little
northern Ohio farm. His parents,
Massachusetts, stock, transmitted to
him the money-making qualifications
that have pushed him steadily to the
front. Beyond that they gave him
little.
He left the little farm house at
the age of IA to begin the fight for
fortune. He sold cowbells and other
articles necessary to the farmer, and
picked up money enough to begin a
college course. There it was hard
work, on diet of cheese and crackers
most of the time, with farm work
and more canvassing during vaca-
tions.
He studied law and was admitted to
the bar. A natural inclination brought
him into contact with financial insti-
tutions, and his ideas on finance inn
pressed some of the old bankers
After eight years of practice he was
made secretary of the Society for
Savings, the largest institution Of its
kind in the west
The bank is simply a mutual saw
ings society, operating under a very
Old and liberal charter patterned after
the early New England savings soci-
etes In eight years more he was
president of the bank, with practical
control of the S40,000,000 savings OF
its 10000 depositors.
Meantime he had been busy outside
the bank. He had organized nationa
banks and trust companies, reorgan
lied a steam railroad and incidentally
acquired d fortune of seven or eigh
figures. He had won recognition
among the financiers of the east ano
was financial power. With the eX'
ception of brief period while he wa.
governor and Immediately after ht
has been president of the bank ever
since first elected to the office.
Herrick's interest in politics came
through his friendship for the late
President Mckinley. The men were
chums. More than once the banker:
genius came to the rescue of the Nc
Kinley fortunes, for Mckinley knew
little and cared less about financia
matters.
Herrick declined to enter McKin
ley's cabinet and twice declined am
bassadorship At the presidents so
licitatiOn he began to take an active
interest in politics He became {
member of the national committee, o
the advisory committees, and figured
in several state conventions FINAL!
he was nominated for the governor
ship, through the influence of tn,
late Senator Hanna.
He made a good business governor
but his attitude on local option bills
inheritance tax bills, and his veto o
a bill to legaliZe betting on horse race
aroused the opposition of the temper
ance element, the farmers and th'
trotting race horse men. Although h,
had won in his first election by tn,
unprecedented majority of 113, 900, h
was defeated in the second fight.
In the pre-convention fight for del
egates in Ohio Herrick was one of tn,
mainstays Of the Taft managers. HI
was always in their confidence anC
his advice was followed in many in
stances where the issue was doubtful
and always with success.