The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-23
FOR INAUGURATION Of Judge Taft Next
 March. THE INAUGURAL BALL There is Talk of Dispensing With This Social Feature. Nearly All of the Espubiiesn Members of Congress Believe That "Uncle Joe. wn Be Re-elected
 Speaker.
 
BY ALFRED J. sToFER


 Washington, Nov. 22.--(special.)-- Preparations are already being made for the inauguration of Judge Taft as President on March next.
 The attendance upon these interest ing occasions is larger every time a new chief magistrate Is to be installed into ofice--naturally So on account of the rapid increase in the population and the Inducements offered by the railroads to tempt the people to make the trip to Washington. The capital city now having the finest union sta ton in the world. visitors can be handled in way that they will not be subjected to many discomforts of former inauguratlons.
 The steam railroad and the local street car companies are pushing the work of completing the Improvements in front of the mammoth union station. The broad plaza. by the time Judge Taft takes the oath, will be In smooth shape even though the task of fnishtng it will be delayed several years, for It Is proposed to make 1t beautiful In the way Of trees, walks, fountains, flowers, etc. In time there will doubtless be some statues on the plaza. Capitalists are also figuring on the erection of a big modern hotel opposite the plaza. Such an establishment Is needed by the
 
 like to break a journey and get q night of rest in a sure enough bed. Some talk is heard of dispensing with the usual inaugural ball. If President t-elect Taft were to discourage that feature, he would save himself an annoyance. These balls are gotten up by the local people of Washington to get back In a measure the money they put up for the inaugural festivities. Tickets are sold at s5 for each person attending, the price being the same for women as for men. For a number of years, the balls have been held in the pension office building. That is 6 big old barn of a structure and ls about the ngiiest- pile ak brick and gress has forbidden the use of this building for any more balls The crowds which attend the balls are the worst mixed iruaglnable. Any one of any color, so long as he or she is known not to be. positively disreputable. can get ticket If She price Is put up. 4 great many negroes usually attend the ball.
 May Get AppropEiaffon.
 A movement Is on foot to have Con- gross appropriate sufficient money to meet the public expense of the inaugu- raj ceremonies. If this is done. it is thought no ball will be given. Should one take place, efforts will be made to have 1t In the large hall in the new government museum. Conventions are now being held in that building.
 Nearly all the Republican members of Congress who have been here re- gently, are of the opinion that Joseph c. Cannon win be reelected Speaker of the next House practically without opposition. Undoubtedly there Is a considerable element who would like to encompass his defeat unless, they can prevail upon him to lend hls influence to a real revision Of the tariff as is favored by the progressLyes of the West. Stories to the effect that Judge Taft Is consulting leading Republicans with view of bringing out an admin lstration candidate against old Uncle Joe" are printed now and then, but they do not appear to have any real basis. Most people who have been heard to discuss the subject. do not think that President-elect Taft cares to buck against the power of the Speaker at the very beginning of his term in the White House.
 If MT. Cannon were a low tariff man and the men identified with the Amer ican Protective Tariff League wished to dlslodge him, then there would be a merry time here all winter. But the Speaker Is an ideal man for that or
 
 treme that Mir. Cannon is one of their kind. and they this early In the game are predicting that the tArtfE bill to be passed next year will have so few mod ifcations that they will be entirely sat- is1ed with 1t, for they confidently count upon a combination controlled by Can non and Aldrich, and that would mean high duties all along the line. The reductions would not beneht the masses for efforts will be made to have the high protection policy maintained throughout the new law. The only thing that could possibly create a nut- ter among the extreme protectionists would be the death of Joseph G. Can non between now and the meeting of the Sixty first Congress in extra ses- sion next March. Such an event would certainly create a commotion.
 PeOnage Cases.
 Attorney General Bonaparte appears to be unduly worked up because tbe government cannot secure convictions in certain peonage cases that have beer pressed in the courts Representative Clark. of Florida, takes sharp issua with him on account of some of his views recently expressed publicly. Mr Clark proposes at the next session of Congress, to introduce in the House Q resolution bearing on the question, and through this resolution the Department of Justice will be asked to furnish in. teresttng information. There isnN much chance of it's being favorably considered by a Republican House. but nevertbe- less the Florida member will press the point Mir. Clark has some decided views concerning the attitude of the Attornev General as will be discovered in inc statement below made to The Ad- vertiser correspondent.
 q sincerely trust that the heavy cloud of defeat now hanging over Dem ocracy has. for the country at least, one silver lining Judge Taft, unlike the present executive. is a lawyer of rare attainments and judge of demonstrat- ed ability. and these things being true 1t is inconceivable that he will not place at the head of the Department of Jus tice a real lawyer This thought has been forced into my mind by two events which occurred within the present week. The present head of the Depart ment of Justice is reported to have de- livered himself of a speech at PittsburR the other night in which he Is quoted