The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-30
PLAN GARFIELD AS OPPONENT ID TAFT Insurgents Trying to Find
 Suitable Man FRIENDLY TO OHIO Red Hot Contest for Ohio Republi- can Delegation Seems to De the
 Programme Now Being
 Outlined
Nv SYDNEY EPsEY

Even thoughs the national nomination convention of the republican party IS q year off the enemies Of rresiueht Taft are casting about for some suit- able candidate to oppose him. The pro- gressives have already souhoea 'heir war cry against Taft and have made known their intentions to make Dit ter fight to gain control of the con vention.
 The name of almost every progress sive has been linked with the can didacy. but the latest boom which must be considered seriously is that of James Rudolph Garfield of Ohio. Friends who are close to MT. Garfield, former Secre- tarv of the Interior, admit that he is giving serious consideration to the idea of entering the race and making A fight to take his home state from President Taft.
 Ii has only been recently that the avowed intention of the progressive re- publicans to make fight on Iatt mas been given any serious consideratlon bv the politicians. As time has passed the progressives have gained strength from quarters unexpected even to
 
 and today it is a well known fact that they will make strong fight against Taft But even the boldest of their adherents could not have suspected that a fight would be made on Taft in his own state.
 The progressives were quick to rec oenize the fact that no outside man could stand chance to take the ohio delegation away from Taft. Friends of Mir Garfield have been feeling out the situation with the plan of making the former secretary their standard bearer. Progressives in Ohio have recently de- clared that the Presidents position In his home state has been so weakened, and the feeling of antagonism so strong against him, that, if he was re- nominated, the state of Ohio would certainly be lost to the republicans. So widespread has become this idea that many of the leaders in Ohio are turning with flavor to Garfield. The internal strife which has rent the ranks of the republican party for the past two years is just bearing fruit. The President has found himself in many embarrassing positions, but to lose his home state would cap the climax. It Is a matter of desperate serious ness to the republican leaders of Ohio They believe that their state would be certain to go democratic if Taft and Harmon were to be the opposing can didates The book of Garfield for Pres l ident is a plan on the part of the lead CTS to sidetrack Taft and save the state | for the republicans. An Ohio democrat at the White House would give so muci strength to his party in the Buckeye state that the republican party would | ic than nrOh- able that it would be many years be- fore the republicans would recover from the blow and have any chance oi | carrying the state
 Whatever good the candidacy of Gar 1 field would do the republican party 1T the state, 1t will not be an easy mat ter for him to secure the Ohio delega | ton. The candidacy of MT. Garfield would be particularly embarrassing tt Senator Theodore E. Burton. He anc
 Garfield both belong to the Clevelan nc
 wing Of the party. Each is promising
 candidate for the gold medal to b'
 voted to the favorite son of the nortf
 end of the state Senator Burton late l ly has been appearing as the spokes
 man for the administration.
 l There is little doubt but that ho fight will be waged which may Gre
 suit in a split of the Ohio delegation
 Charles P. Taft naturally would b' look ed to as general manager Of th' | interests of his brother. and the pol 1 iticlans calculate that each of the two | candidates would develop most strength I in his own part of the state, Taft 1T
 the south and Garfield in the north
 There is little doubt that if Garfield
 was to become a candidate he would
 have the undivided support of all the
 anti-Taft elements from the party. The
 LaFollette forces will fall In line fol him. This assumption arises iron | statements made by the aggressive
 Wisconsin senator himself He said :hat
 any one selected by the prograssivo' l to be their candidate would have the Undivided support of the progressves There will be no friction among the
 progressives as to who shall be can
 didate. The man that they feel car | give the insurgents the most strength will be named.
 In addition to the support of the Ia Toilette forces there Is strong feel ing that the candidacy of Garfield
 would force Theodore Roosevelt into
 an attitude of acquiesence, if not oi
 support. This would give Garfield
 much individual strength, for the ex-
 President still has great hold upon 1 the voters of the country.
 red-hot contest for the Ohio delega | ton. it Is declared by the anti-Taft re- publicans. would have a nationwide in- l nuence. It would give encouragement to | the ant-adminlstration movement in other | states, and be followed by pressing the 1 fight all along the line. There can be | little doubt of this, for, if the progress sives were to capture the stronghold of I the Tat element. states which are con | sidered doubtful would be much easier | to swing. Moreover the fight would be l made on series of issues with which the name of Garfield would be closely allied. This would serve as means of focusing the attention of the people upon him.
 Of all the names of progressives that have been mentioned as possibilities, the Selection of Garfield seems the most log