Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-11-26
Gossip at Washington Has 1t
That Brother Charles Wants
Ohio senatorship
cANNoN's FRIENDS START STORY
9u. Forth Claim That That is the
Reason For Taft's Opposition to
/ Speaker for Reelection and the
Pressing of Burton for the Place
Presidents Hands Off.


Speaker Cannon in this city profess tc
pc perfectly amazed at the dispatches
which have been coming out of Hot
Springs, Virginia, limiting that it may
be the purpose Of MIR. Taft to try to
prevent the reelection of MIR. Cannon
as speaker Of the next house, provided
he does not fall into line with the poll
cies which Mr.. Taft will support as
president.
These friends assert that the speaker
and Mr.. Taft have from the beginning
stood together on practically all Of the
more important issues before the party
and that there is no reason for believ-
ing that they will part company now,
They add, significantly, that all the Hot
Springs talk grows out of the desire OF
certain Ohio politicians to- make capital
for state purposes and bring about the
election Of Charles p. Taft to the SEN
ate in succession to Mr.. Foraker.
Charles p. Taft, say these Cannon
men, very much desires to come to the
senate, and probably will succeed in
doing so. He contributed $l1O,000 to
The presidential campaign, and more
than a hundred thousand dollars adj
tiitional to bring about the nomination
at Chicago of his brother. He now
thinks that the party in Ohio should
reward him.
Mr.. Burton, it us said further by
these friends Of MIR. Cannon, is simply
being used. He would like to be sena-
tor himself, and his candidacy would
make the success of Charles P. Taft
somewhat uncertain. Therefore, certain
Ohio republicans, friends of Charles p.
Taft but not necessarily speaking for
the president ELECT, are trying to bring
Mr.. Burton into the contest for the
speabership will, the view to giving
Charles P. Taft q clear field for the
senate.
Canal Speech" Not Made.
This is the explanation offered by
Mr.. Cannon's friends for the numerous
reports which have come out of Hot
Springs concerning, a probable split be-
tween the president-elect and the
speaker.
Recently story went over the coun-
try, appearing in most Of the daily
newspapers, to the effect that Mr.. Can
non had made speech in Chicago, IN
which he attacked the isthnian canal
and indicated thar he was hostile to
continuance of canal appropriations.
This speech, it is said with emphasis,
was. never made. Mr.. Cannon, 1T rs
! added, is in full sympathy with the
administrations canal policy. SINH
larly, it is said that the speaker has
been represented as being opposed to
certain other policies Nfor which the
administration has stood, and which
Mr.. Taft will adopt. These representa-
tions. it is alleged, are without warrant,
and are being made for the sole pur-
pose of trying to make trouble.
AS has been pointed out in these
dispatches, however, it is believed here
{ that the so-called Roosevelt policies,
which Mr. Taft has adopted, now stand
on a vastly different footing before
the country than they did in the last
session Of congress, and previously. be-
fore the republican party had officially
placed the seal of approval upon them.
1t will thus be vastly more difficult
for the republican leaders in the two
houses Of congress to oppose those poll
icies than it has been hitherto.
Political Lives in Balance.
The president WILL by the same
token, have stronger leverage on con-
gress, in demanding the enactment OF
those policies into law, than Mr. Roose-
welt could possibly have 1t is thus ar
gued that any republican leader in con-
gress who stands out in opposition to
those policies, will take his political life
in his hands thereby. Especially will
the speaker, it is said, be target for
criticism should he exercise the great
power of his office to prevent bills en-
bodying those policies from being. con-
sidered by the house.
Mr.. Cannon's friends point to all
these things and say it is preposterous
ito believe that Mr.. Cannon would
think of setting himself against Mr..
Taft, and particularly against the plain
declarations of The republican party as
expressed in, the platform on which the
presidency and the house We're won this
year.
The Journal, is thus given both sides
Of this interesting situation. They
agree in the main, and it is evident
that the leaders of neither are anx-
ious for a quarrel. At the same time,
Mr.. Taft has the whip hand, with the
republican platform and the sentiment
OF the people as a whole, back of him,
and 1t is figured here that any persons
in congress who get in his way will
have cause to regret it.
The fact that no president Of the
United States has ever endeavored to
control the organization Of the house
Of representatives, part of one Of the
coordinate branches Of the govern
ment, Is presented here as a strong
reason why Mr.. Taft will scarcely
consent to make an issue between him
self and Mr.. Cannon. Mr. Cannon is
already as good as elected speaker Of
the next house. What opposition there
lis to him amounts to almost nothing.
Presidents Hands Of.
The tremendous power Of the presi-
dency would undoubtedly create oppo
sitfon, af exereed to that end, but
friends OF the speaker insist that any
such program pursued by Mr..
Taft would recoil on him with
telling effect They say that
the president has no right to in
house. and that "a he were to do SO. he
would solfdify tad house membership
against him. regardless of the issue on
which tha contest had been made. Self
respect, & rs urged. would demand that
executive interference Of this kind be
resented and it's purpose defeated.
On the o61rer side of this question,