New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-11
Foraker, Long
Political Power,
Dies at Seventy
Former Senator Had Been
in Poor Health Since
Retirement
Always a Hard Fighter
His Conflict with Roosevelt
Memorable; the Standard
Oil Letters

- osNt Ns'( al ~
Oil Letters
Cincinnati. May l0-Joseph Benson
Foraker, former United States Senator
from Ohio. lawyer, orator and soldier,
died at his home here to-day. aged
seventy years. The former Senator
had been in poor health since his re-
t!rement from the Senate, in 1909, but
it was not until two weeks ago that he
was forced to take to his bed, and his
condition was not considered critical
until last night.
"A first rate fighting man" was Jo-
seph Benson Foraker, as soldier, as
a lawyer, as politician. as Gov
ernor, as a Senator and as everything
else in his busy and varied career. lie
gave and took hard blows. he made de-
voted friends and remorseless enemies;
but, Ike Jim Bludso, "hc never
funked."
Fought in Civil War
First. a soldier. He mad been born
on farm near Rainsboro, Highland
County. Ohio, on July ), 1886. and so
was just old enough TO get into the
army when, on July IA. 1862. he en-
listed as a private in Company A, S9th
Ohio Volunteer Infantry. With that
organization he served until the end of
the war, rising to be first lieutenant and
brevet captain. At Missionary Ridge
he led his company in the charge and
was the first man TO scale the enemy's
works. lie distinguished himself at
Rocky Face, Buzzard's Roost, Resaca,
Burn Hickory, Peach Tree Greek and
Atlanta.
After the war he determined to COM
pete his education. so he entered the
Ohio Wesleyan University. and was
graduated in 1868. That fitted him TO
enter the senior class of Cornell Uni
versity. and he was graduated from
that institution on July !, 1859. Mean
time he studied law. and in October,
1869, he was admitted TO the Ohio bar.
Governor of Ohio
The Republicans of Ohio nominated
him for Governor in 1883, and he
made a brilliant campaign, though, like
most other Republican campaigns IN
that year, it ended in defeat. In 1889,
however. he was renomnated and was
elected, and in 1887 he was elected for
second term. Still another nominal
ton in 1889 was followed by defeat.
His administration as Governor was
marked with much aggressive yigor and
with numerous striking incidents.
Meantime he was busy in party poll
tics. He was chairman of the ONO
Republican State conventions IN 1885,
1890. 1896 and 1900. lie was dele
Gate-at-large from Ohio to the Repub-
lican National conventions Of 1854.
1888, 1892. 1896, 1900 and 1904. In 1884
and 1888 he was chairman OF the ONO
delegation. and on each occasion pre-
scented to the convention the name OF
John Sherman as candidate tor the
/ Presidency. In the conventions OF 1872
and 1896 he was chairman of the plat
form committee. and in 1896 and l9OO
he presented TO the convention the
name of William Mckinley as candi-
date for the Presidency.
Conspicuous in Senate
He first sought election 10 the United
States Senate as a competitor OF john
Sherman, and was defeated. But IN
the next Senatorial campaign he was
more fortunate. lie secured the Re
publican nomination in the legislative
caucus and defeated Calvin 5. Brlce.
the Democratic candidate. That was
in January. 1896. and in March OF the
following year he took his seat IN the
Senate simultaneously with the install
lation of Mckinley as President. In
that body he quickly made his mark as
an industrious worker, a forcetul
speaker and an aggressive party leader.
lie took a leading part IN debates on
Cuba, the Spanish war, the Philip
pines, the tariff, statehood for the ter
ritories of New Mexico and Arizona
and many other important topics. lie
was the author of the self-denying
clause which was added TO the act max
ing war against Spain, IN which the
United States was pledged not to take
Cuba as spols of war, but 10 rellnqulsh
il to the government OF its own people:
In 1908 he entered upon his second
term as Senator, which lasted until
1909.
Soon after the accession OF Theodore
Roosevelt to the Presidency sharp an
tagonism was developed between
Foraker and the administration. In the
famous Brownsville episode Foraker
was the chief champion OF the negro
troops who were then punished by the
President for their alleged offence OF
shooting up the town. tie also op-
posed Roosevelt's antl-corporatlon cam
paigns. and was the only Republican
Senator who voted against the rate oil.
In 1908 he opposed the nomination OF
William H. Taft for the Presidency:
but. of course. in vain. As result or
the anmosties engendered IN that cam
paign a strong opposition was organized
against Foraker's reelection 70 tnird
term in the Senate, Charles =. Tart
being the rival candidate. The outcome
of il was that both TAFT and Foraker
withdrew. and Theodore L. Burton was
elected Senator.
Standard Oil Letters
During that campaign OF 1908 FORA
ker was made the target for violent at
tacks because of his close relations,
which he never attempted to conceal,
with various large corporations. VIII
lam K. Hearst, in THE New York
American" published number OF let
ters which had been secured in some
way from the files of John d. Archbold,
of The Standard OIL Company, referring
TO pecuniary transactions between
Archbold and Foraker, and these, II was
minated. indicated that the latter's
course as Senator had been governed by
;mnroper influences. The matter was
made part Of the subject of Senatorial
investigation in October, 1912. Foraker
met the charges without embarrass-
ment with the statement that all the
money he had received from the stand
ard Oil Company had been payment for
legitimate services az an attorney lot
that corporation. and had no possible