The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-15
DIVIDED REVOLT
HURTS INSURGENTS
House Members Fights Against
Statehood and Inland Tariff
Bills Not Concerted.

BY w. w. Jernane.

xssa -------- zssee:s.=-s.
BY, w, w. Jermane.
Washington, Jan. 15.7Th house in
surgents are not talking as loud as they
did week ago, and there are indica-
tons that they have lost their fight
almost before it was we'll begun. One
trouble is the fact that members who
are insurgents on the Philippine tariff
are not insurgents on statehood, and
clearly be enough to defeat the organ
lzatlon program. ~<l
s The count Of noses has been made
several times, and thus far the organ
ization has been in the lead. An occa-
SIGNAL insurgent is picked off by the or
ganization forces, and Representative
Watson, the new republican whip, with
his dozen able-bodied members as as
sl!stants, is having. the busiest time of
Representatives Tawney Of Minnesota,
who was. whip during the Cuban reci-
procity insurgency, did all the work
sunassisted, but Mr.. Watson finds. that
he must have help. - 4%ssg@T% eggn@.. {.
: ; Babcock Leads insurgents. -
The leader of the insurgents is Rep
resentative Babcock Of Wisconsin, and
the claim that he is a poor leader is
perhaps we'll founded, for one may hear
1t wherever he goes here. A deter
mined effort was made to induce Taw-
ney to join the insurgents this time,
but he, declined. His sympathies are
with them, so far as statehood is con-
cerned, but his position as chairman Of
the appropriation committee makes him
a part of the house organization, and
he has therefore ceased ITO wear his
radicalism where everybody may see it..
gents was the hardest blow they had
received up to that time, and they ad-
nit that that refusal has weakened
them almost beyond calculation.
Mr.. Tawney ism It naturally conser-
vatiye.. His restless temperament, his
fendness for a fight. for its own sake,
and his skill in insurgent leadership, all
combined to make an ideal b" anti But
he is now good, and says that he must
for a rule on the statehood bill, and
for the bill when it comes up for final
passage.
Tawney and speakership.
Mr.. Tawney is directly in line for the
speakership,> and should he. be in con-
from that position, he he viii D'I be se'i the
strongest candidate, and the man most
likely to succeed him, the house being
republican; This is, important to the
entire state, as we'll as to the north
west. It is freely predicted here that
the speakers from heneeforth will be
western, or middle western, men. The
start was made with Henderson, who
was the first to come 4rom west Of the
Mississippi. Then came Cannon, from
q nd =
river. In all probability no speaker
will again be chosen from. east of the
Alleghenies, unless there should be spe-
cia1 reasons for it,, The political cen
ter of gravity Is moving westward with
the center Of population.
4. Tawney May Succeed Babcock.
Talk of the. retirement Of Represent
atives .Babcocks and Overstreet from the
positions Of chairman and secretary, re-
|sspeetively,, of the republican aeongres.
sionaf campaign committee, does not dis,
turb the house republicans. It is said
on excellent authority that neither OF
them, If a candidate, could ever be re-
elected to his old position, and if this. is
the case, the recent patronage squabble
! between Overstreet and Senator Bever
1dge, over patronage at Indianapolis
which resulted in the issuance by Over
street of a statement that he was thru
with congressional committee matters
was fortunate thing for that gentle
man; and also for Babcock, who seem!
to have joined with Overstreet on thu
issue as raised.
In the Saddle Long.
These gentlemen, and with them Rep
resentative Hull Of Des Moines. tt,
committee IS treasurer, have been in tn,
saddle in congressional committee af
fairs for, several years, and it is a mat
ter OF common knowledge that the,
have not been handling The affairs O.
the committee to the satisfaction O
their colleagues. There are no charge
the regulations of the gentlemen il
question: but a general feeling exist
That 1t Is about time to make change
This feeling has been accumulated b
the knowledge that the gentleme:
named have been unable since 1900 t
secure contributions for campaign pul
poses from certain, quarters before. tina
freely open to. the republican party. i
1904 the committee was seriously handi
capped by this situation On severa
notable occasions, ,moneyed men in tn
east and west positively refused t
make contributions if the funds were +
be handled by Babcock, and it was net
essary, before the contributions wer
made, to give assurance that the fund
would not pass thru his hands. Thi
lack Of confidence in Babcock on tn
part of prominent supporters of the IT
, publican party extends to his associate
and grows out Of the belief that the
are greatly overestimated men, and tina
j their management Of congressional can
: palgns has not been wise or economical
so, it is very likely that none Of the oil
/ committee officers would be re-electe,
e even if candidates.
Tawney's Opportunity.
i The Minnesota delegation has not W
e decided who will be its. :representativ
on the congressional committee for til
next two years. Tawney is the repr,
sentative at present, and if he Shout
be again selected it is almost certai
s that he will be Babcock g successor 8
chairman. He is one Of the most pop,
lar republicans in congress, has a stron
/ personal following, and won his spu
e as manager of the speakers bureau i
}. 1904. In that capacity he did muc
eI toward carrying certain doubtful ives
r ern districts that year, and his adapt,
), bility for the work in question
e everywhere conceded. =
= The Minnesota delegation for man
wears has followed the absurd poIicv +