The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-08-14

has gathered about him. TN
dominated the Congressional ed
for years, have won many a
sional district by clever politiat
have been regarded as about thH
capable political managers in
life. But one after another ON
has been declining the Chairma
this year, since Representative N
man, reelected as chairman last win
was nominated for the Vice Pr
dency.
As result the usual status as
tween the Republican and Democrat
Congressional campaigns is reverse
The Democrats chose their chairma
several months go-Representatiy' Y
James It. Lloyd, of Missouri, crediteN
with being one of the most level hea,i1s
ed of Southern Democrats in n hard
political game. He and number OF
assistants have been at work for weeks
and have their campaign well under
way. The Republican Congressional
Committee, which by this time, usual
has a campaign blocked out, has dot
practically nothing. The illness of NJ
Sherman, which ante-dated the Cis+
cago, convention, is one reason for tn
the inability to secure a new chairmt
is anOtner reason. ERl
Representative James A. Tawney, ",
Minnesota, long an official of the comV,
mittee and seasoned politician, COULD
have had the job. The Congressional
Committee, from whose membership the
chairman is always chosen, wanted him.
He had 10000 majority at the election
of 1906 and it was felt that he, with
the prestige of being Speaker Cannon IS
y, = L. 4.
man of the Appropriations committee,
could well spare the most of the sum
mer and autumn away from his DIS
trict. But Mr.. Tawney declined Their
the committee turned to II. c. It1HSe'
slayer, of New Jersey, another o
mittee official. A few weeks T3N Il
was anxious for the place. MOI z
understood that he win not accd
though he was elected in 1906 bylIA.
majority. Representative j. A. TtNk
of Iowa, still another of the So
Congressional Committee oil gay{|
would be available for the chairE,
ship, but he has had big fight for
nomination and there is doubt whe5
he is to be candidate for Congt
this year.
Mr.. Tawney is facing primary Z
in his district. He is supposed to-
in no danger, but is unwilling to-
away from home much during W
autumn. The same is true of NJ
Loudenslager, who shares the confidel
tial view of some New Jersey Repu(
licans that that state is too full os
political unrest to take anything folI
granted in the present campaign.
Then the tremendous opposition that
the West and the Southwest have been
showing to Speaker Cannon, since the
Chicago convention, makes it ques-
tionable whether anv of The old COM
mittee leaders identified with,him COULD
manage Congressional campaign I'd
advantage. This opposition, which
comes from Mr.. Taft Is staunch friends
in that section although not coun-
tenanced by him, has been urging the
election of Democratic Congressman i'm
preference to Republicans who would
train with the Republican speaker.
The movement is especially strong in
Kansas, which has solid Republican
delegation of eight, in Nebraska, Iowa,
| Wisconsin, and even in Illinois, the.
| Speakers home state.
| 1t has led to much talk about the
possibility of a Democratic House apI
a Republican President for the TWO
years after March next, notwith-
standing the oft reiterated fact that
the party winning the Presidency haA
always won the House of Representa-
tives, except when Hayes was made
President in 1876. 1t is far from prob
able that the Republicans can lose 80
members in the West this year, which
loss, as has been pointed ont, would
alone make it possible for Democrats
to carry the next House. But the OPP
position has been sufficiently aggres-
sive and widespread to give the Speak
er and his friends some anxiety.
A Western Committeeman will prob
ably be found to accept the Chairman
ship. In short order tremendous efforts
are to be put forth in the districts
that are hostile to Mr.. Cannon to set
things right from his standpoint. Most
of the Congressional nominations have
been made out that way and the op-
portunity for hard Congressional cam
paigning is at hand. The Speaker will
be right Mt the new Chairman IS elbow
all the autumn. 1t is no secret that
he wants another two-year term in the
Speaker S chair and expects to have
the votes among Representatives., WHO
will assemble next spring for the tariH
revision session, to put him there.
ERNEST e. WALKER.