Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 74, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 March 1915 — FAIRBANKS, WEEKS OR BORAH IN 1916 [ARTICLE]

FAIRBANKS, WEEKS OR BORAH IN 1916

Former Vice-President Looms Up As the Kind of Leader Nation Will Look For Next Tear. A Washington dispatch to The Indianapolis Star mentions Charles W. Fairbanks, of Indiana, aS the most likely man for the republican nomination for president next year. Outside of him Weeks and Borah are the most likely. Elihu Root, of New York, probably is the strongest man in the United States today, but his age and his decision to retire from active life practically puts him out of consideration. It took the people of the United States too long to find out his greatness. He should have been named for president when William Howard Taft was first named and there never would have been a split in the republican party. But this is neither here nor there now. It is to get a big man, one who looms up equal to the requirements of the great office, one who has had experience and not a man of theory. An honest man, who can see the effect of legislation, who knows the needs of business large and small and who is free from prejudice. Such a man is Charles Warren Fairbanks. Of the highest type of citizenship, he has had years of experience as a lawmaker and ranks with the greatest statesmen of the age. He is credited with having the foresight to see the necessity for issuing bonds for the construction of the Panama canal and to have made provision for this when his colleagues in the senate would have simply provided an appropriation, believing that the treasury would never become exhausted. Had it not been for the provision for bonds, the work on the canal would have been interrupted, and an extra session of congress would have been necessary to provide for the continuance of the work. His knowledge of international law proved important in settling the Alaskan boundary dispute with England some years ago and his counsel was always sought in connection with the greatest questions of national and international legislation. As vice-presi-dent he made one of the best presiding officers the senate ever had. He was vice-president when Theodore Roosevelt was president and during the campaign of 1912, when Roosevelt was a candidate on another ticket he never said an unkind thing of his former colleague although ardently a republican and taknig some part in the campaign. He is commanding in figure, slear hi argument, kindly in disposition, of clean personal life and of unquestioned integrity and his name has never been associated with any criticism in the nation’s life. Following the close of his term of office he made a trip around the world and since that time has kept up a study of all the questions of international importance and today he i sthe natural man toward whom the people of the United States turn. A United States senator is thus quoted about the regulations that are responsible for the turbulent business conditions of the day: “From every source comes the word that the great business interests of the country will be heard in the next session of a republican candidate. They are declaring, everywhere, for a ‘new freedom.’ That is, a freedom from the Constant unfriendly legislation that has characterized the present administration. “It is a startling fact that less than a dozen men have nearly absolute power over all trade, commerce and finance, of a national character. We now have three boards, or commissions —one controlling interstate commerce, one the banks, and now one to take over the direction of all commercial business, and a bare majority of each of these boards or commissions can decide the most momentous questions concerning the business affairs of the country. “In all its history congress of itself never attempted to exercise such immense and arbitrary power as it has conferred on each of these commissions, and the business of the country is at the mercy of these men, and no matter how wise they may be, still it is not possible to concede to them wisdom gfeat enough to prevent their making many aftd grievous mistakes. “The Interstate Commerce Commission already has shown its capacity to make mistakes, and at a time when the people are crying for better and more efficient service from the railroads, it has taken the commission months of haggling and delay to grant the roads even a small measure of relief. “The business interests of the Country, now stand facing a time when they will be called before the new. Trade Commission, and compelled to let that commission pass upon themanner of conducting their business affairs. They are to be questioned by a commission, that, to say the feast, has ever individually displayed any great ability to build Up or conduct a great business."