The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-10-15
WILL REPUBLICANS
STAND TOGETHER?
Two Different and Distinct Elements
Within the Party.
EXPANSION Is AN ISSUE
Next Congressional Session Will Not
be Harmonious.
REED OPPOSES ADMINISTRATION
Senator Hoar Will Renew His Fight,
Ably Assisted by Mason and Pet
tigrew- Question of Brigham
Roberts Admission
REED OPPOSES ADMINISTRATION

Washington, October H-(Special )-WE
General David B. Henderson, as speaker OF
the next house of Representatives, be able
TO hold the republican membership together
on questions of moment to the party, ant
in support of policies of still greater i'm
portance to the American people?
Before the first session of the Fifty-sixtl
congress has taken recess for the annua
holiday period, it will develop that ther,
are two different and distinct elements OF
the republican side of the house. Gener
ally speaking, these two elements will rep
resent the administration forces on the one
side, and the congressional friends oi
Thomas B. Reed on the other.
Issues Among Republicans
To be technical, the opposing ideas among
the dominating party in congress will CEN
ter respectively around the policy of Presi-
dent Mckinley for the expansion of Ameri-
can trade and territory, and the policy of
Reed for keeping the United States govern
ment free from all possible foreign compli-
cations; for letting the Oriental question
alone; for attending strictly to developing
and improving our own resources, and,
above ALL for maintaining the supremacy
of the eastern and New England states in
congress; on all questions of legislative
policies which shape the course to be pur-
sued by this country in the future.
When Mr. Reed delivered his valedictory
at the close of the last session of congress,
the house of representatives contained six
ty-four republican votes over the combined
a
a plurality of more than eighty over the
democratic membership. At the forthcom-
ing session the republican majority will be
less than a dozen over the combined votes
of the opposition, and the narrow majority
will render 1t absolutely necessary for the
manag of the majority to be alert, dill
gent an to maintain a quorum at all
times.
1t should be stated that during the short
term of tho last session of congress there
were many and frequent premonitions of a
disagreement on the republican side. A
great many of the members often felt like
revolving against Reed and his arbitrary
methods of enforcing his rules. Frequently
we used to hear some of the critics of the
speaker making threats and boasting what
would be done during the next session.
Reed Held Them in Check
Reed held all these chatting congressman
CheCk,
behind his big back, for the leaders of the
house were in most cases New England or
eastern men, Not so during the coming
session The west saved the day for the
republican party in the house. Had there
been one half of the losses in the support
of the nominees In the west as there were
in the east the democracy would nave oeen
in control of the lower branch of congress.
1t was the result of the progression against
the conservative policy, which means moth
ing less than a determination of the west
to assert itself in the halls of the national
legislature.
Reed astute. far-seeing and practical phi
that he is, realized we'll that his
day of power in the house was ebbing
away. He could discern all through the
closing months of the last session that he
could never hold the western members to
a policy against their own interests or OF
those of the states they represented. Mr..
Reed is deeply read statesman, great
man and an honest man. He set his gavel
down hard many and many a time against
schemes of spoliation and raids upon the
treasury He has no time for political
and underhand intrigue. He
has always been big enough to fight out in
the open where everybody could see just
what sort of weapons he handled
Opposed McKnley's Policy
He opposed the policy of Mckinley in
the annexation of Hawaii and did not con-
ceal The shining blade of sarcasm When
he publicly stated that he could not endorse
the presidents peace treaty, for the reason
that the. twenty millions to be paid to
Spain, which ne had helped to guard SO
carefully, was to go to purchase lot of
'.niggers'' and flight on our hands for all
times to come"
Whether Reed personally interests him
self in congressional legislation during the
next session is not annoying the admins
tration. Whether he will have three men,
bers ON the republican side or six or a
bakers dozen to support mis- ideas of what
this government ought to do at this time,
is another specula tion. 1t is certain that
he is strongly identified today with the op-
ponents of the administration. He does not
deny 1t. His retirement from congress;
his silence Is corroborative evidence that
he is identified with the eanti-expansionsts
On this issue 1t is certain that there will be
a division In all parties In fact, it is al
ready evident that the democratic party or
a fraction Of it in the house will be divided
on this issue. The majority of the party is
with Reed on this question. The south op-
poses the war with the Filfpinos from prin-
ciple and for fear of the consequences of
further involving the racial difficulties by
that many more blacks into
the system of ale country. The east op-
poses the war in the Philippines for fear
that it will lose Uae supremacy In trade
East Wants the Trade
What the east desires to do most Is to
prevent partition of trade in the Orient
In the four commodities of wheat, cotton,
iron and dressed beef the south and the
west produce 80 per cent. of the raw ma
terial Until within Uhe last few years nine
tenths of our exports of these commodi-
ties have traversed the eastern states and
crossed the Atlantic seaboard. Reed and
bis sym lthizers see in the permanent re-
tcnton vi the Philippines a dea blow to
the commercial supremacy of the north
east. They want to prevent the construc-
tion of the Nicaraguan canal, and the first