The Washington herald., 1912-01-07
CALL OHIO LOYAL
TO THE PRESIDENT
II. R. Sentiment Due to Per-
sOnal Liking for Him.
WOOL VETO DID SOME HARM
Friends of Taft Discuss with Him
the Political Situation I'm HIS
Home state and In Indiana-The
Hitcheoek-New AFFAIR Is Con-
sidered straightened Out.


Among President Taft's visitors al
the White House yesterday were sew
eral dispasslonate observers OF the sit
aation in Ohio and Indiana. They first
took up Ohio with the President, and
affirmed that, outside of the northern
counties Of that State, the Common
wealth was loyal In its support Of the
President and the Presidents policies.
They admitted that in Cleveland and
Toledo and one or two northern coun-
ties there existed a strong Roosevelt
sentiment They believed that Senator
Purton and others were aware OF this
sentiment They did not believe that
IL had been provoked by the attitude
Of James r. Garfield, but rather was
due TO a personal liking for the former
President. Nothing was CLOSED over
concerning the remaining counties in
The State. There had been great deal
of dissatisfaction. particularly in Ham
ilton County, and this dissatisfaction
had been recorded at the polls on last
election day.
Wool Veto Criticised.
The Presidents veto of the wool bill
last winter had provoked critical COM
ment in the wool-growing counties Of
the State. But on the whole there was
u genuine respect and admiration for
the President and his. general policies
and the Presidents visitors were of the
belief that he could count on almost a
solid delegation from the State In the
next national convention.
It seems, according to the Presidents
visitors, that Gov. Judson Harmon in
the first year of his second administra-
ton had devised policies and had adopt
ed a course toward his own party. es-
pecially in the distribution of the pat
ronage, which had brought considerable
dissatisfaction TO the rank and file Dem
ocrats of the State. This alleged dis
satisfaction had redounded TO the Presi-
dents benefit. II was stated, as If by
authority, that Senator Foraker and
Foraker's friends are now very much
more friendly to the President and hts
administration than recently. and that
their old hostility TO Roosevelt remained
and was even becoming Keener and
more pronounced every dav.
As to Indiana.
Concerning Indiana, the Presidents
visitors stated that without the slight
est shadow Of a doubt he would have
a solid delegation from that state to the |
national convention. 1t was added that
AlAN AANBNblaNdH oLdAe OTEdnlZaUOn laQ !
thoroughly routed the Beveridge con-
troll, and that Il was now in the hands |
Of Republicans who believed in the
President and insisted on his renomina-
ton. 1t was furthermore declared that I
this improved condition of affairs In the /
Hoosier State was due largely, IL not
almost entirely, to Col Harry S. New,
Republican national committeeman for
the State, and the Republican contingent
with which New had surrounded him
self.
The Presidents visitors left him. and |
remarked later that the President was
entirely awake to the attitude of many
Republicans. was aware of the efforts 10 1
create disturbances in the party on the |
eve Of the Presidential campaign but
that he would remain as the candidate ,
II he hadn't but one delegate I'm the con- |
Nention at his hack
The President s. visitors were sincereIy
satisfied that from this time on the
Presidents friends were to begin opera-
tons in the various States where discon-
tent and dissatisfaction have been most I
prominent. and hope was expressed that |
by the time of the national convention
most of the present cloud that befogs the
political atmosphere will have been
brushed aside.
Hitchcock NettIeds
There are all sorts of reports here
about TO the effect that Postmaster Cen
eral Hitchcock, whose preliminary work
in the spring Of 1908 in Southern and
other States redounded to Taft's benefit |
has been somewhat nettIed over the re-
cent attitude of the Republican National
Committee in practically setting him
aside in his effcrts TO prevent Harry I
News election as chairman of the SUBJ
committee of arrangements for the ma
tional convention. 1t was stated on the I
best Of authority yesterday that IL Mr. |
Hitchcock was annoyed by that act he I
has practically recovered his equanfmity |
The Hitchcock-New differences arose
out OF an episode in the National Com
inittee's meeting in Chicago in 1908. {,
when the committee was hearing the Z
contests from the various States New
was chairman OF the committee and
Hitchcock was one of the committees
officials. New objected to Hitchcock an
Fearing before the committee with the
J-rOxies Of several national committee
Is'e1- at his command, and voting on
those proxies in the contest. Hitchcock
paid no heed 70 News criticisms and
objections, and finally one day New
removed him from his place On the Ma
tionaI Committee. subsequently, when
Hitchcock was made chairman OF the
National Committee, he refused New a
place on the executive committee and
thus for four years Indiana has been
without a representative on the ex-
ecutive committee. which is the power
IuI committee of the national body. For
many years Indiana held a place on 1
that committee.
In the campaign Of 1905 the Republicans
Of Indiana without doubt resented Hitch
cocks act, for Taft only carried the
state by 15.OOo. while Thomas A. Mar
sIsall. a Democrat, was elected gov
ernor There were times during the
campaign OF 1898 when the most astute
Republicans believed that the President
would lose the State. II