Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-07-13

t1OnS, present pictures of
curious contrasts.
One Ohio Republican state conven-
tion endorsed in strong words the adj
ministration and deeds of Theodore
Roosevelt, who then was president.
In the same platform which gave the
president his endorsement there were
words of the strongest commentator
for Senator Joseph Benson Foraker
and his work in the senate of the
United States.
The platform therefore expressed
appreciation OF the legislative efforts
of two men, calmly ignoring the fact
that one of them was seeking to pre-
vent the doing Of that which the 9TH
er wanted to have done. The resolu-
Tions of the convention were insin-
cere either in one case or the other
land the historian must take his
choice.
Senator Foraker was one of the
strongly picturesque men in the SEN
ate of the United States. He was
strong in speech and in political and
parliamentary methods, and he was
ance. He was nervously energetic
and as watchful as lynx. He was
the head and front of the Republican
opposition in the senate to the rail-
road legislation which had the in
dorsement of President Roosevelt
Senator Foraker, in fact, was the tire
less enemy of the measure. He knew
that he was espousing losing cause,
but If there had been hope that the
measure might be defeated he could
not have been more constant in his
attendance at the sessions when the
bill was under consideration, nor
more alert at every instant of time
to raise some point tending to
strengthen his own line of belief and
sof argument
To one who lacked all knowledge of
the ways of Ohio politics it would
have appeared that Senator Foraker
was facing the certain condemnation
.of his constituents by his course of
antagonfsm to his party and to the
president. From the words that came
to Washington from Ohio 1t appeared
practically certain that the people of
the state who held no corporation af
iiliations were like the same classes
of people in other states-determined
advocates of railroad regulating meas
ares
Other senators who we're as bitter
1y opposed personally to the legisla-
-tion as was Senator Foraker paid
heed to the feeling at home and voted
~, \: MI,
ed to gain strength in opposition
from every message that came over
the Allegheny mountains telling him
that he was taking the unpopular
side Mr. Foraker's attitude had in it
more than suspicion of defiance.
He was in the thick of the fight
from the day that the Hepburn bill
reached the floor of the senate until
the hour when it was put upon it's
passage. His long speech in opposi-
tion to the measure was one of the
greatest speeches Which he had ever
delivered. 1t was eloquent. 1t was
based upon premises which by the
speakers art was made to appear
sound. and the listening laymen might
well have been almost persuaded
that all the right and the reason and
the logic were with the cause of the
senator from Ohio.
1t was long speech which Mr..
Foraker made, but Its interest made
she time speed on its way. He was
,not content with the one utterance
AT different times during the debate
ne rose to combat the statements of
some of his colleagues, and at every
such time he spoke vehemently and
well.
President Roosevelt during the
months of agitation over railroad rate
matters said some things which made
1t appear strongly that he felt that
men who opposed legislation which
he favored were not likely to have
the countenance of their constituents.
He lived to see convention of his
party declare practically that he was
right, and the men who were diamet-
rically opposed to him also were right
The Republican party in Ohio sue
eeeded in framing resolutions that
NOR of Mark Twain.
Senator Foraker in addition to be-
ing opposed bitterly to railroad rate
Legislation, was the chief stumbling
block in the senate to the securing of
such action on statehood questions
as the president wished to have
taken. Mr.. Foraker did not wish to
see Arizona and New Mexico united,
and he did not hesitate any longer to
ta?s
matter than he hesitated to take is
sue with his own rate legislation.
Certain great corporations were
greatly interested in the question of