The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-11
TACTICS USED FOR TAFT
STIRRING UP DISCORD
Extremes to Which Administra.
ton Is Going to Influence Dele
gates Increases fractional
Bitterness-One Demo-
crat for Aldrich
Bill. ;.
1imes-D.spatch Bureau.
Munsey BuiIdInp q
Washington. b. C.. March 10.

I! - 1GNS of revolt against the ruls
OF Speaker Cannon are manifest
Ing themselves on the Republt-
~ can side of the House of Repre-
4 sentatives. and while they may
not indicate successful revolution
they do indicate very clearly that there
Is far from that unity on the slde
OF the majority which has become pro-
verbal In recent years. Representa-
\ tive Hayes, one Of the solid Republl-
can delegation from California. is CIR
culating a petition for q caucus of
Republican members to consider cer-
| tain changes in tho manner of select
Ing the members of the Committee on
Rules, which, II adopted, will work
a revolution In methods of legisla-
tion and strip the Speaker of very
great deal Of his power
Mr.. Hayes proposes that the Rules
Committee shall consist OF four Re-
publicans and three Democrats, to be
nominated in caucus OF each party,
and elected by the House.
/ He believes this would prevent the
Speakers having such absolute power
as he now exercises, through his ap-
pointment OF the Rules Committee. Tho
committee is now composed of five
members. including the Speaker and
I
| Democrats, Messrs. Williams and De-
Almond. Every time there is any
legislation OF Importance desired by
the Speaker he calls meeting of the
committee, and the committee reports
a special rule. limiting debate and
providing that vote shall be taken at
a specified hour.
Hopeful of Caucus.
MIR. Hayes believes that with a
larger committee the rule would not
be SO nearly absolute as at present.
He would not predict that the caucus,
. il called, would adopt his resolution,
i but he said he believed he could se-
cure enough signatures to the petition
to insure the calling of the caucus
4 But should he even fall In this, tho
fact that so many have signed indi-
Gates that there Is much dissatisfaction
with the arbitrary rule OF the Speaker.
compared to whom Gear Reed was a
benignant and beneficent constitutional
ruler. And this is only one of the
evidences that Republican unity is
largely thing of the past since
/ Rooseveltism has caused such fiery
4 fermentation in the party pot.
4 Presidents Partisanry for Taft.
/ Tho extremes to which the adminis-
tration Is going In order to gain dele
I gates for Secretary Taft Is contrlhCt-
4 raj delivery service three carriers on
In the Republican ranks. The feeling
(which now exists between Taft and
anti-Taft Republicans is far stronger
than that which Is found between Re-
Ipublicans and Democrats, and is chief
lily the result of the unprecedented
|partisanry of the administration. An
/ instance OF the manner In which tho
4 President and his administration gem
lerally are using patronage to hammer
out Taft votes comes from Kentucky
i to- day, the Post-Office Department hay-
Iing summarily dismissed from the ru-
raj delivery service 400 carriers on
routes out OF Mayfield solely for the
reason. it Is alleged, that they were
Fairbanks supporters and would not
agree to be for Taft.
/ 1t Is extremely probable that such
| methods will nominate Secretary Taft,
but 1t Is agreed that the men employs
ing such tactics should remember that
the nominee has to be elected as we'll.
Naturally, Democrats are not trying to
smooth the troubled waters tossing the
/ Republican bark.
Democrats for Aldrich Bill.
/ Advocates of the Aldrich currency bill
have stated frequently that number
of Democrats in the Senate would vote
i for the measure A leading Democratic
ESenator said to-day that he had been
unable to discover but one Senator on
the Democratic side who would support
the bill. 1t is understood that Senator
lOwens, of Oklahoma, will vote for the
measure. 1t has always been the boast
lof the Republicans of the Senate that
Whenever they needed votes for any
purpose, they could count on being able
Ito get them from, the Democratic side.
Committee to Visit Richmond.
| The House Committee on Public
lBuildngs and Grounds accepted 3-day
the invitation of Representative Lamt
that subcommittee visit Richmond be-
fore passing on his bill to increase the
limit OF cost OF the Richmond Post
Ioffice to sl,ss5,0oo. in order TO enable
the government to purchase the entire
block in which the present building is
located, and on the site OF which 1t Is
proposed to locate the new structure.
The subcommittee which will leave
here at 11;10 o'clock Friday morning,
will consist OF Representatives Bar
Itholdt, chairman of the Committee on
gNIessrs. Rodenberg, Lafean, Norris ana
Thomas.
Pension for Mrs. Pickett.
4 Representative Lamb introduced a
Ibnl to-day granting a pension of 800
a month to Mrs. Pickett widow OF
General George f, Pickett who COM
manded the Confederate column which
made the historic charge up Cemetery
Ridge In the Battle OF Gettysburg. The
bill provides that Mrs. Pickett shall re-
4 lceIve pension OF 800 a month on
account OF the services OF her husband
Fin the War with Mexico. she is en-.
ployed in tho Pension Office in this
| city, and has held this position for
number OF years. Captain Lamb said
to-day that |. number Of Northern wos
Imen urged the introduction OF tho bill.
1 Military Road to Arlington.
/ The House COMMITTEES on Military
Affairs reported favorably to-day Rep
- ,tot rsa I'LL atfh Izty