The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-02
Representative Mann Has Been
Making a Poll.
Receives Replies From 125 Out
of 21O Republicans.
TAFT is SATISFIED.
Speakers Attitude on the Tar
Tiff Is Approved.
The Two Will Have Conference
in Washington Soon.

Washington, Dec. 2.-Having received
125 replies from 210 Republicans elected
to the house in the next congress, Rep
resentative James R. Mann of Illinois
smiles when he is told of the opposition
to the reelection of Jos. G. Cannon as
speaker in the Sixty-first congress.
There are some, especially new mem
bers, who do not commit themselves
beyond saying that they want to be
with the next administration, but there
are many outright declarations for Mr..
Cannon, and enough favorable com
ment comes from those who are not so
positive to give assurance that there
is no chance of defeating Uncle Joe"
Mr.. Mann sent out letters of inquiry
recently to all of the incoming mem
bers and has been receiving from fif-
teen to twenty replies a day. To date
he says that the friends of Mr.. Cannon
feel justified in claiming the practically
solid support of New England, New
York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia,
Virginia, North Carolina, Michigan,
Illinois, South Dakota and Missouri.
The Kansas delegation is divided and
the Iowa delegation will be for Repre-
sentative Walter L Smith If his name is
presented, and Ohio would be counted
for Burton. Only one member replied
that he would oppose Cannon.
The talk of effective opposition to Mr..
Cannon's reelection. however, is dying
out, and press dispatches from Hot
Springs, Va, are of a different trend
from what they have been regarding
difference between Mr.. Taft and Mr..
Cannon, which has been more mag
mary than real.
Taft Satisfied With Speaker.
Hot Springs. Va, Dec. 2.-The
threatened fight by Mr.. Taft against
as speaker is off, The president-elect,
so it was learned from a reliable
source has been assured that Mr.. Can
non and the present regime in the
house are ready not only to consent to
a revision of the tariff that will square
with the Taft pledges on the stump,
but also to put through the rest of the
Taft program of progressive leg1sla-
ton.
The details of Mr.. Tafts under
standing with the Cannon people will
not be worked out until he goes to
Washington next week. There is
strong probability, however, that the
assurance Of Mr.. Cannon's friends
will be supplemented within a day or
two by a direct message from the
speaker himself
Congressman William B. Mckinley
of Illinois will be here on Friday. He
is undoubtedly coming as an emissary
from the Spea ker to pave the way for
a conference between Mr.. Taft and
Mr.. Cannon in washington next week.
Mr.. Mckinley is chairman of the
Republican Congressional committee.
He managed the Cannon presidential
boom and has for years been one of
the speakers closest friends. Nobody
here doubts that Mr. Mckinley,
speaking for Mr.. Cannon, will add his
assurances to those that have already
come from the speakers close
friends.
Persons familiar with Mr.. Taft's
views have declared from the start
that his threatened Intervention in
the speakership situation involved no
consideration of personalities. All Mr..
Taft wanted was definite assurance
that the speaker and his supporters
would play fair on the tariff, and that
no obstacles would be put in the way
of progressive legislation which Mr..
Taft had outlined in his speech of ac-
ceptance, and to which the Republi-
can party stands committed.