The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-02-23
the cause of decease rather than the
actual decease remaining in doubt.

the cause of deceasc rather than the
actual decease remaining in doubt.
For if the local Republicans, in fact
the local observers without regard to
party alignment, are to be believed, q
foolish thing has been done badly
For the president to interfere at all
was in their judgment, unwise. Fol-
him to pitchfork Wade Ellis into the
situation without warning was to
make mistake not easily remedied
George B. Cox of Cincinnati indicated
the feelings of the mere politician
No one informed him in advance that
the change was on foot. Accordingly
the Dayton conference saw no repre-
sentative of his present.
One of the first little tasks of Wade
Ellis will be to decide whether to
"placate" Cox or defy him. If he
"placates" him, then all Ohio will rise
on the boss issue, perhaps. If he de-
fies him, takes the risky course OF
righteousness, then Cox may give Jud-
son Harmon the votes that elected
him before. Not less angry. men say
is ]. B. Foraker. who still has a fol.
lowing. The satisfied politician at the
present moment is not to be found
yet 1t was to compose the political
differences, as we'll as reorganize the
party with view to giving it some
respectability now lacking, that Mr.
Ellis was sent upon his mission.
Fundamentally the situation turns
upon the power of the Taft personal.
ity in Ohio. 1t seems to have been
thought at Washington that once Mr.
Taft gave his entire influence to the
cause, quarrels would end, jealousies
would cease. personal and public
grievances would be composed. The
magic of his name and his personality
would restore the Ohio Republicans
to party solidarity and cohesion. Yet
somehow the thing has not worked
A great spontaneous outburst Of 10y
atty has not occurred. The Republi.
can leaders gave three cheers and
went home. AS for the people, on the
surface there is no evidence of any
more genuine response on their part
Before President Taft entered the
situation there was very general be.
lief that on the issues of local state
government the Republican party haG
earned and would get in November a
thorough beating. A discussion ol
these local issues may be reserved fol
another letter, but the substance oi
them may be indicated by saying that
scandals not wholly unlike those now
attracting attention at Albany have
been discovered. Governor Harmon
has unquestionably grown stronger
each day of his administration. anG
the contrast between his service anG
that of his party opponents has beer
SO obvious as to require no argument
| If Mr.. Taft had been citizen ol
| New York and had come into tina,
state and told the people that nex1
fall they must vote not upon the Allds
revelations. not upon the Republican
record at Albany, not upon the gener.
al issues that Republican rule in New
York has made. but upon the tariff
and the general enthusiasm for him
| his proposition would probably have
exactly duplicated that in Ohio today
Nor is there the least evidence tha
the people CT Ohio have any intention
of obliging Mr.. Taft: their eyes are
still fixed upon visible local Republi.
can affairs.
At the root of the matter lies the
conviction that by rushing into the
fray the president has taken a state
affair out of its proper setting. Tt
insist. as his action makes him insist
that Democratic victory next fall is
an almost inevitable consequence o.
local conditions. this seems in Ohio
mistake, a blunder not easily eX
plicable and less easily repaired
Wade Ellis may be man of miracles
but Ohio has different notion. Tht
popularity of the president may ex
ceed that of Judson Harmon in tn.
present situation, but that is not thu
local opinion.
There is nothing of the Kansas hos
tility in the Ohio attitude toward Mr.
Taft. So far. from denouncing him
men conceal their persona! opinion
Yet enough evidence is discernible t.
show why the fact that he has entered
the local fight has not decided it o.
changed its probable course. 1t alst
explains why observers here believe
that he has rather shifted to his ad
ministration defeat actually earned
by local conditions than prevented {
local disaster. A deliberately vicar
ious sacrifice Mr.. Taft appears il
| Ohio today.