The Washington times., 1908-11-11
POWERS PLACE CANNON N
ON A PROBATION TRIAL
Speakers Acts During Coming Session to Determine
Whether Administration Will Take Hand in OPP
posing Him for Reelection.

Speaker Cannon is going to be on pro-
baton for a session Of Congress
That is the conclusion of all the in
formation that can be secured about the
attitude of the powers that be, the pow
ers that are to be. and the insurgents In
the House of Representatives.
There Is no organized effort on foot
at present to prevent the Speaker sue
ceeding himself as first lord f the
House There may never be such an ef-
fort. The Speaker may be elected by
the Republicans OF the Sixty-hrst Con-
gress without opposition. But whether
ne will be, depends on his attitude
toward public questions during the com
ing short session
1t is news TO nobody 70 say that reIa-
tions between the Administration and
the Speaker have been strained for a
long time, and have been getting no bet
ter since the Chicago convention. II
the Speaker and the President had got
out on mat and clinched in a rough
and-tumbIs fight last session. they would
have added nothing to the conviction
among people in the know that they
were utterly out OF sympathy and were
restrained from open rupture only by
large considerations Of party policy and
political necessity.
Cannon Is an Ally.
They did have two or three hand-to-
hand struggles, beginning with the night
for the appropriation 10 pay for en-
forcement of section % of the Hep
burn act The Speaker was one of the
most determined OF the allies" at Chi
cagO. and il was his organization in
the House which prevented the nomina-
ton for Vice President of a man who
would have been satisfactory 70 the
powers OF the ruling faction in that
convention Mr.. Sherman was handed
TO the TAFT managers by the allies, and
was accepted because there was no es-
cape.
The Speaker had a great fight for his
reelection He was one Of the issues
IN the campaign. II was an open secret
that his defeat at the polls would have
inspired nothing but prodigious aridity
IN the lachrymaI departments of nation
al campaign direction. Before election
1t was common talk that even If re-
elected he would not be Speaker again
It was expected at that time that the
by much closer majority than at pres
ent, and that the lmplacable opponents
Of the Speaker would represent enough
power 10 eliminate him.
Unexpected Happened.
But the utterly unexpected happened.
The Republicans did not suffer a serious
loss IN the House, and It was one OF
the curious results of the election that
a considerable number Of men who had
been forced to pledge themselves
man setting out TO figure up a scheme
Of general Endorsement, at the polls,
for the course Of Mr.. Cannon could
hardly have fitted things together in a
fashion better calculated to demon
strate that the country was for the
Speaker and IN favor OF his continu-
ance n the CzaTship.
Since election, IT has become plain
that the Speaker and his friends place
this construction on the result Like
wise, 1t has been made plain that the
opposition to him has lost much OF its
eageness for a fight.
But the possibility Of a determined op-
position has not disappeared. Though
distinctly 'jarTed," the antagonism 10
Mr.. Cannon has not been knocked out.
II is taking the count. and gaining all
the time possible. 1t win be on its feet
again for another round If occasion
tustifles.
The thing which would be considered