The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-11-21
Spectacular Contest Between
The Two Expected Over Re-
vision of Tariff Which Can
non Opposes.
TAFT DESIRES REAL RE-
VISION OF SCHEDULES
If Necessary, President elect
May Prevent Election of IIIi-
nois Man as Speaker~Indi-
cations for Contest.

Hot Springs, Va, Although efforts
are now being made to avert it. it is
not yet certain that a spectacular con-
test between President Taft and the
close friends of the new administra-
ton on the one hand and Uncle Joe"
Cannon and the old guard of the
house of representatives on the other
will not take place over the speaker
ship of the new house when congress
is called in extraordinary session to
revise the tariff next March.
Intermediates are at work in the
hope of obviating the necessity of
such alignment, and while they have
some reason to feel they will succeed.
a sufficient element of doubt enters
into the situation to make it one of
absorbing interest.
Quite naturally the new president
committed as he is to the execution
of certain policies, realizes that the
cooperation of the legislative branch
of the government is essential to
make his administration entirely sue
ceSSful
Some of these policies were enun-
ciated by President Roosevelt, while
others, notably tariff revision owes it's
initiation to Judge Taft more than to
the retiring president.
For the last three years Judge Taft
has been advocating a modification
of the Dingley schedules on the
ground that they work injustice to the
masses of the people and even encour-
age monopolistic tendencies in some
corporations. Since the primary OBJ
| ject of his contemplated call for an
extra session is to have a new tariff
law passed, it is to be expected that
he is more deeply interested in that
! just now than in anything else. And
In as much as the character of the re-
vision depends largely upon the Or
ganiZation of the house, he is con-
cerned not only in the speakership,
but also in the personnel of the COM
mittee on ways and means.
Taft For Real Revision.
In order to carry out the promise
of revision contained in the republi-
can national platform, according to
his Interpretation of that promise,
there must be a complete and
thorough overhauling of all the sched-
ules in the present law. The presi-
dent-elect does not favor tinkerine
with the tariff nor a makeshift revis
ion which does not assure relief from
present exactions. From remarks re-
Gently made by Speaker Cannon, Sen
ator Hale, of Maine; Aldrich, OF
Rhode Island: Elkins, of West Vir
ginia and a number of other public
men who used to be classified as
"stand-patters. Mr.. Taft formed tbs
opinion that the prospective revision
would not be as genuine and exhaus
tive as he believes it should be. Since
| tariff legislation must originate in the
house he concluded it would be advis
whether it would be necessary fol
him to resort to the unusual eXpedien1
of exerting executive influence in eff
fecting a reorganization of that body
Within the last few days informa
tion concerning his attitude on thi!
que stion has been communicated II
leading members of the house in {
quiet unofficial way and to the gen
eral public through the medium of the
press. The dispatches fore-shadowins
possible conflict between the incom
ing president and his allies and Mr.
Cannon and his friends over the mex
| speakership as a result of possible
failure to come to a common under
| standing in regard to revision have ;
substantial foundation. As already in
dicated. it is not certain such con
test will take place, but if it does no
it will be because the two men chief