The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-12-03
WASHINGTON
From our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, d. c., Nov. 80,

a large number of members and
Senators are already in Washing
ton and tn. hotel lobbics and o'her
places where statesmen, politicians
and journalists assemble are cen
teis of discussion, i'll which. of
course, the tariff and the election
OF a Speaker of the House are the
main issues. 1t is everywhere as.
sumed that the President elect IS
going in for more thor ugh re-
vision than Uncle Joe and his CO.
hort of standpatters in the House
will tolerate. There were a number
OF pour parlers at the Capitol yes
terday between such we'll known
Republicans as Aldrich and Hale,
Speaker Cannon, and Congressman
Tawney, Payne, Da zell and Bur-
ton, when it was said that the con-
clusion was reached to 90 so far in
to the matter of tariff revision that
the Pr, ,sident-elect would have moth.
ing t. do or to rec mmend. TIL
old guard Republicans those who
were opposed To- Mr., Taft's noni-
nation until they were forced to ac-
cept him have measured their
strength with a president before
and they feel that they can meet
President Taft with as much sue
cess at least as they had when they
met and opposed President Roose-
welt. 1t is said that these gentle
men ars anxious TO have a consul
tatiou with Mr.. Taft, but do no,
want to go to the Hot Springs -
they are too coy for thst-and
must not be seen to make advances.
Their preference would be tor a
claudestine meeting, unknown to
the world or to the press This,
however, is impossible of accomp-
lishment.
There is no doubt very determ.
ined and growing opposition to the
reelection Of Speaker Cannon and
this opposition will doubtless be
org lnized completely by the fourth
OF March or before the special ses |
sion is called. Mr. Burton OF Ohio.
Mr.. Fowler of New Jersey, Mr..
Townsend of Michigan and other
distinguished members OF Congress
are frequently mentioned to sue
coed Speaker Cannon. MIR. Town
send, speaking recently with refer
cnce to his own candidacy said:
Last session and also during tne
campaign, l was i'll communication
with a considerable number of
members who were disposed to
support ne for Speaker. However,
| have not written to one of them
since election day. The only active
campaign l have decided to start
on reaching Washington will be
for the revision of the House rules |
so that the Speaker and his three
party colleagues on the Committee
on Rules will not be the whole
thing"
Representative Murdock of Kan
sas said: Il am against the pre-
sent Speakers reelection and |
against the rules, and am for their
modification, whether he is re-elect-
ed or not. think The first move
of those in the House who are op-
posed to the Speaker and the rules |
will be to fight to make the COM
mittee on rules larger and to take |
it away from the Speaker by max.
ing it elective by the House itself.
Il have no aspirations for any
committee assignments nor to be-
come leader i'll the House. All I |
desire to do as a member of Con-
gress is to serve my constituents as
we'll as possible.
The most essential thing in the
revision of the tariff added Mr..
Murdock, lis that it be done quick
ly, Get through with the job in
the shortest possible time that will
conform with decent investigation
and reasonable discussion.
*#*
There are many indications that
point to an effort on the part
of the Republican majority to
reduce expenses. Congress is a
ware of the big deficit to which the
Secretary of the Treasury will i'm
pressively refer and an effort will
be made to cut down appropriations.
Notwithsta1di the program of
economy, an effort will be made for
big River and Harbor appropria-
tion. Many members of Congress
are ready to vote for bill appro-
priating large sum for this pur-
pose, because it is popular and
further because the money will be
spent in their districts. Then,
again, the advocates for a more
powerful navy are not expected TO