The Washington times., 1908-12-09
Speaker of House Meets
Terms of PreSident-Elect
at Conference.
MEETS TOMORROW
WITH COMMITTEE
Ohioan Will Ask Ways and Means
About Their Plan for Tariff
Revision.
By JAMES HAY, j.

Joseph G. Cannon. Speaker OF the
House Of Representatives, today madS
his peace with William Howard Tart.
the President elect, in a conference
which lasted an hour and a half at the
residence of Miss AIabe! Boardman. IN
p street. where Mr.. Taft is guest
during his stay in Washington
The peace pact will be sealed by
conference which Mr.. Taft win have~to-
morrow afternoon with the entire mem
bership OF the House Committee on
Ways and Means at the residence Of
Representative Nicholas LongwOrth- II
is expected that Mr.. Cannon will at
tend the conference tomorrow.
Tariff revision was the man subject
discussed by the two men this morn
ing, although other matters In which
Mr.. Taft is especially interested we're
brought up.
President-elect said he would issue no
statement about the conference until
tomorrow afternoon, following MS
meeting the Ways and Means commit
tee. He postponed the statement be-
cause IN this way he could avoid the
necessity of Issuing two statements.
Speaker Says Nothing.
The Speaker said:
II haven't a word 10 give out. II l
construed, and then somebody might
get mixed up on what the President
elect would say, and the thing would
go to skies and sevens. I will say
nothing about st."
1t was an unique and striking meet
ing, this conference between Taft and
Cannon. The Speaker, who has come TO
a ripe old age, signalized by his oppOsi-
Iion TO the progressive element of his
party. went TO treat with the President
elect. who is a power in the country be-
cause of his victorious fight against the
conservatives of Republicanism
On the one hand was the old man,
whose district taught him in the last
elections that conservatism is crum-
bling before the Irresistible advance OF
the progressive spirit which is abroad
in the land; the old man, whose formed
grip on the House of Representatives.
has been threatened by the progressive
ness he fought, the old man. who is
described by some who know him as
pelng convinced that conciliation and
placa1on are the roles he must play in
place Of the dOminStiOn and logged re-
sistance which have characterized him
in the past
The Younger Man.
man, who stands yet en- the threshold
OF his greatness one who has been
chosen for the greatest office in the
world because he was wise in throwing
on the bonds of the conservatives and
disregarding the voice Of the standpat-
ters; the younger man VINO had said
that unless Cannon would pledge loyal
~ to progressive legislation there
would be a fight against his reelection
as Speaker Of the House.
They were the supreme leaders CT the
opposing wings of their party Their
meeting was private 1t was preceded
Dy no demonstration Of any kind Mr.
cannon drove up 10 the BoRrdman resi-
dence az 10 O'Clock. and was admitted
without delay. Not three people knew
who he was as he left his carriage 10
near from Taft what was desired OF
him and his following in the House.
.r, men Ihe conference was over the
TAFT smile was learning a few new
wrinkles and working all the time AR
cannon, however, was not smiling
80 Tar as can be learned Mr. Taft
went over In great detail the things ne
thinks should be done regarding fariff
revision end the methods which should
be followed In order to give the ;lltino7 -
consumer OF goods and articles a square
deal. H5 pointed out that neither tba
Speaker nor the Committee on VyaNS
and Means should expect the ultimate
consumer or every article, whether il
Ee medicine or clothing, to appear be-
Iore the committee and ask for a
change in the tariff schedules. He held.
rather that IL IS the duty of the lesfs-
razor 70 ascertain by careful inquiry
and diliSent research Just what Changes
are needed 70 insure a fair deal to everv
consumer ond to make those changes
whether they are specifically requested
or not.
Although the conference ended in 2
manner that was satisfactory to Mr.
Taft, and will be followed by a confer
ence with the Ways and Means Commit
Continued on Eighth Page.)