The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-06
SITUATION IS
PER|LOUS ONE
Both Cannon Forces and Taft
Forces Cognizant of
Shoals Ahead.
GRAVE CONCERN is FELT.
SHALL TAFT BITTERLY OPPOSE
REELECTION OF CANNON OR
SHALL HE NOT? is A QUESTION
ASKED BY HIS PARTY.
GRAVE CONCERN is FELT.
Special to Palladium.

! leaders over the possibility that Presi-
dent-ele ct Taft may feel called upon
to use his influence in an attempt to
prevent the reelection of Joseph G.
| Cannon as speaker of the house.
That such an attempt would be high
| ly injurious to the party is conceded
without question. Yet there. are
those close in the confidence of the
president-elect who believe it would
be much more Injurious not to make
the attempt.
The unopposed reelection of Can,
non means, in the judgment of those
Who are advising Mr.. Taft to oppose
him, that it will be impossible for
the new administration to secure any
substantial progressive legislation at
the hands of congress: means that
the proposed revision of the tariff
| will not be such as to satisfy the COM
try. that other remedial measures to
which the president-elect is pledged
will lie smothereI IL committee or
passed in emasCulated form. A sue
cessful fight against Cannon might
make possible the passage OF meas
Ures that otherwise would fail, but
it would leave in the house a sullen
and revengeful republican minority
which would lose no opportunity to
embarrass the administration. An UNI
successful fight againss the speaker
would leave the new administration
at its very beginning nopelessly dis
credited and iDlpotene to redeem any
of the p,"lges for remedial legislation
made by Mr.. Taft.
The president-elect is at the parting
of the ways, and has got to decide
which road he will travel. None of
them promises pleasant journey.
Two weeks ago republicans were con.
graduating themselves that the new
administration was to begin under
such suspicious circumstances. the
president-elect having the confidence
of the country and. it was believed
assured of the loyal and harmonious
support of his party's leaders iii con.
gress. There was talk even then that
it might become necessary for Mr.
Taft to oppose the election Of Can
non but the talk was not taken ser,
iously. The president-elect continued
|
litical skies smiled with him.
But the germ Of trouble already was
on the job, getting in his deadly work
Interviews given out by leading house
republicans, Cannon's lieutenants. did
not indicate they had in mind such a
revision of the tariff as Mr.. Taft be
lieved the republican party had prom
Used. This WIS discouraging, but not
necessarily alarming. There remain
ed the possibility that these former
stand-patters might be made to see
the error of their way. But here en-
tered a new element, an unthoughtol
one, one with which there seemed nc
way to cope. From the tone of editor
ial utterances in republican and indie
pendent newspapers throughout the
country and from reports carried per
sonally and by mail to Mr.. Taft al
Hot Springs it began to grow apparent
that the country was going to be sus
picious of and dissatisfied with any
tariff bill passed under the auspices
of Speaker Cannon, Serene E. Payne
John Dalzell and the other powers
that-be in the house of Representatives
in cooperation with Aldrich, Hale anC
other "reactionaries" in the senate.
No one need envy the lot of William
Howard Taft. Probably no other presi
dent since Lincoln ever had, as his
Inauguration day approached, SO hare
a problem to solve.
There has been a lot of criticism
during the past few years of executive
encroachment upon the coordinate
legislative branch of government, bu
there has been nothing even ap
preaching in flagrancy presidential in
reference with the constitutional
right of the house to choose its owr
speaker 1t may well be assumed tha
Mr. Taft, with his reverence for the
constitution and respect for constitu
tional forms, has no relish for sucf
an enterprise. An assuming such, il
safely may be further assumed tina
he will not undertake it unless pro
foundly convinced that he owes it a:
solemn duty to THE American PEG
pie.
1t is pretty we'll established that ne
attempt to defeat Cannon can succeed
unless it have the sympathy and &C
tive support of the president-elect
Those who wish to oppose Cannon are
too timorous, indeed. to make the at
tempt unless assured of such support
There is no present assurance the at
, tempt would succeed even with the
president-elect's active and earnes
support 1t certainly is true that man,
, of the house who have no large sym
patty with Cannon and his method:
would resent any pressure from tn,
outside in matter which so intimate
ly converns the house itself 1t i.
equally certain that those who wer,
fighting the battle for the house or
ganization and against executive inter
ference would have the sympathy ant
support of the senate. almost to
, man.
. Under such circumstances. for Mr.
! Taft TO make the fight and lose would
. me an not only that he would be con
fronted by a hostile house but that b,
would manifold whatever of hostilit,