New-York tribune., 1908-01-22
POLITICAL BEES BUZZ
SENATE ON THE ALERT.
More attention Paid to Plots than
TO LGscmaking.
tFron The Tribune Bureau.I

TFron1 The Tribune BureauJ
Washington. Jan. 91.-There is more politics
in the Senate than legislation these days. and
every action of the Executive is scanned under a
1naenifying glass determine if il has any
political significance. With Ohio evidently
going for Taft, body, soul and baggage. the
political battle has swung to New England. and
my section of the country is hotbed of poll
tics just present. said a prominent New
England Senator to-day, as he pointed to a
number Of sensational although unfounded
stories regarding the conferences between E. c.
Mansfield. postmaster of Boston. who is in
Washington conferring with the Postmaster
General. which have recently appeared in the
Boston papers. Mr. Mansfield calmly admits
that he has secured the loan of a typewriter
for the Boston office. and that the Post
master General is a Massachusetts, man he has
strong hope Of securing a few additional car
riers and possibly an Office boy before he returns
20 Boston. and this admission is regarded
deeply significant and is being retailed in cloak
and committee damning evil
dence that the Postmaster General is using fed
eral perquisites to coerce postmasters in the
political game.
The New Hampshire Senators had their heads
together most of the afternoon. comforting over
the real significance of the appointment of
Charles Fairbanks as pension agent for YER
mont and New Hampshire. and the Vermonters
were doing little comforting. too. as. while they
are not committed to Taft at all. they nave re-
oeived an irtirnation that the next man the
President names as pension agent Tor 'hat ols-
trict Will be a Verrnonter and will have to be
5,,7,, Endorsed by Nessrs Proctor and Dillng-
ham II is said ar the White House that the
New Hampshire Senators have been quarrellfng
over the Office for year
There is some talk about defeating the noml-
nation of Mr. wanmaker Appraiser Of the
Port Of New York. but far can he ascer-
tained that is case of the wish being fathe1 :
n the thought, as the New York Senators have
indorsed Mr.. wanmaker, and Senator Platt is
endeavoring TO secure a favorable report from
the Committee on Finance. which would be fol-
lowed by prompt confirmation
Some members Of the Massachusetts delega-
ton in the House are considerably exercised
over the growth Of Taft sentiment in their
state. and they attribute the fact to the intlu
ence of the President. the Postmaster General
and Senator Lodge. although Mr.. Lodge had not
committed himself. and poll of the Massacllu-
sets delegation in the House made early in
The session showed a majority for Taft. Repre-
sentative Gardner being an ardent champion of
the Secretary.
The extent to which IL Is safe to play poll
tics" in the Senate and 20 hold up nominations
esrt n by the President is being seriously dis
c1ssed by Senators Some of the bolder mem
bers Il the upper house contend that it is en-
1irely safe TO reject any nomination which has
rot the Endorsement Of at least one Senator. re-
ga-dless of the fitness Of the nominee, while
others fear the consequences of such a course,
pointing 10 the fact that the Senate is not d
particularly popular body with the masses that
even this year petitions have been received from
several state legislatures asking Congress to
rO
pare an amendment whereby Senators may be
elected by popular vote. and that the mass Of
Republican voters are still such ardent admir-
ers of President Roosevelt that in contest with
him the Senate is likely TO fare badly in the
public mind.
Those who take this view argue that while
il VIII doubtless be possible TO convince some
Of the voters that the President is playing
politics il is entirely probable that far
greater proportion viii regard the Senate as
playing politics and viii condemn it's course.
OF course. the Democrats are delighted at the
present course Of events, and if taunts, applied
!udiciously and at the psychological moment
VIII help 20 fonent the differences between a
Republican President and Republican Senators,
4 vii not he the fault Of the Democrats If the
breach Goes not rapidly widen
All is not harmony on the Democratic side of
the chamber. however. and the advocates Of
William J Bryan and the opponents OF the
Henraskan leader have heated discussions in
The cloak rooms daily Were the administra-
don Democratic the friction between the Ex-
ecutive and the members Of his party in the
Senate would doubtless he more acrimonious /
Than ANYTHING which has thus far occurred TO
mar the relations between President Roosevelt |
ard his Republican brethren I'm the Senate. !
fhe amount Of acrimony which the minority |
members invariably inject into their pro and |
ant Bryan discussions beggars description, and |
there are times when the assistant sergeant-at-
arms who has charge of order in the minority /
cloak room. t-ernhles lest he may have TO con /
tend with q genuine fstic encounter