The Washington times., 1908-12-01
Uncle Joe" Surrenders to
Progressive Policies Of
the Ohioan.
HITCHCOCK GIVES
NECESSARY WORD
PresidentElect ard Illinois Mem
Der viii Have Conference in
Washington Soon.
By JAMES HAY, Jr.

HOT SPRINGS, Va, Dec. $50 far
as the Presideut-eIect IS concerned. Jo-
seph @. Cannon, of Illinois, can be re-
elected Speaker OF the House Of Rep
resentatives without opposition.
This Information came out here today
from a reliable authority anc is based
on the fact that Mr.. Tart has won the
fight he began against Cannon either TO
secure from the Speaker a pledge Of
thorough cooperation in the Taft poll
icies or failing in that. 10 have Can
non defeated for the leadership OF the
House
Within the past twenty-fcur hours,
the President-elect has received assur-
ances Of a most positive and indispUt-
able character that Cannon. IN order
TO avoid the fight which might be wsged
against him by the new Administration,
{ is ready 10 pledge his loyalty 70 q thor
ough and painstaking revision OF the
! tarin and 10 promise a sincere cooper
alton with Mr.. TAFT in progressive leg
isIation
A friend of the President-eIect today
summed up the situation as follows:
TAFT has gotten what he wanted
and demanded. He has won his fight,
and now, being assured of the har-
m0niOus relationship between himself
t--AA -LA AADAA7E DA claAGcaLlblAs 44E f1AAA-A
be foolish 10 put up man just for
the fun Of beating Cannon
Speaker Is Strong Man.
-'The present Speaker is a strong
man, and his cooperation Will mean
much 10 the new Administration"
On several occasions within the past
week, men acting as emissaries from
Cannon, or purpOrting to act as such.
have attempted to settle the dght
Taft was credited with making on
the Speaker. but to all OF these, Taft
turned a deaf ear When James s.
Sherman came here several weeks
/ ago and asked Taft TO invite Cannon
I 10 Hot Springs Tor a CONFER reneer -plss.
I Presideut-eIeCJ refused 10 take SuCn
action. since thenf s6Ferel attempts
I have been made 70 have Taft invite
have been successful
Taft was waiting for assurances
which he could take as aosoiutely ma ma
He made il clear that be would not
/ accept any part promises. II IS re-
ported here today that the man VINO
has at last been able 10 say TO Tart
that Cannon IS in earnest about CO.
operation is Frank Hitchcock, the new
ly appointed Postmaster General. ana
the recognized political scout OF the
new Administration.
When Hitchcock was here last week.
he and Taft had several conferences
regarding the Speakersnlp, and II was
1 understood TnlE E1aLtLtDEh 4EAt mere
with the task Of determining WheLner
| the Speaker meant 10 do real business
with progressive legislation
Cannon Convinced.
/ According 70 the information here to
day, there is no longer any doubt that
/ Cannon is convinced that his course
| lies parallel TO Tafts This may not
/ be entirely due TO a sudden change Of
/ heart on the part OF the Speaker, but
NAV be. partially ascribed TO his knoWl-
edge that the Taft program, as laid
out in the letter Of acceptance OF the.
nomination. is the popular program with \
tba country and that he fCannOn) must
: 90 ont for reelection by ms district
i i'm two years from now. Friends OF
TAFT say the Speaker got MS severe
! lesson In the last elecuon. Wheh qls
! ma foritv was lowered by big Margin
! Ii must he understood, however tnal 4
! IL the DrogressiVes in the House insist
on putting up a man against Cannon
/ Taft will not be expected TO call them
/ off. Ar he viii do. in return for Can
mons promise IS 10 make no nsht con-
! corning the SpealIership.
viii Meet in Capital.
| There will, Of course, be a meeting be-
tween Taft and Cannon, and in all prob
sbility it Will be pulled of IN Washing
ton before Taft goes to Augusta Ga
for his winters residence.
This as Yet has not been settled, but
! there will have to be a meeting at some
! time when there can be established a
/ thorough and inviOlable understanding
/ between the President-eleCt and the
/ Speaker Of the House
! The effect of CannOns falling into
the TAFT parade may we'll be far-reach-
ing Ii will give the cause of pro-
/ gressiveness a great boost in the House
I or Representatives. thereby tending to
a triumph Of those members VINO have
announced themselves as bent on re-
/ vising the rules governing the pro-
! cedure Of that body. il viii be in ef-
! feet an acknowledgment by the House
| organization that the time has come tOf
/ progressive work, and that the means
/ for such work must be provided
Friends Jubilant.
/ The friends Of Mr.. Taft in Hot
/ Springs are jubilant over the report
make the promises demanded Of him.
! It means that Taft has won his tight
| in a period of not more than two weeks
/ period that has been marked by the
{ greatest political excitement in Wash
/ ington and other parts OF the country
/ Il period which has brought emissaries
place, and has filed the Taft letter files
with hundreds OF letters from all parts
/ Of the country. commenting his course
As matters now stand, the thing Is
| settled, 50 Tar as the President-elect ts
| concerned The only turn which can re-
| open it Is the evidence that hr. Cannon
! and his lieutenants VIII try 10 pose as
/ obstructiOnists Of progressive legisla-
j ton and this is not expected by any
I mar familiar with the situation.