Middletown transcript., 1908-11-28
WAsHENd1


H6fQ G0NVentl0Hs Ii W&shtbgbuW w ullf
ling The past week, by far tbs MOST ID
teresting conyention is that Oh live D
six members of the Ways and Mead
COMMITTEES OF the Honse Of Repreaenta
| tives who are debating the tariff que ION h
the new Offices OF Congress. | cay de
bating,n because although represent
atiyes of the various interests are there
4 ostensibly to give testimony and to afford
the members OF the Way and Means
committee basis for their opinion with
reference to the various echedules, they
are not so much witnesses as special
i pleaders; and really the members of the
Ways aud Means COMMITTEES are as
thoroughly acquainted with the questions
as the so-called Witnesses or represent
atives of the interests. The hearing is
therefore farcieal. It amounts TO moth
ing, one way or the other as far as deeid-
I ing the question is concerned. II
the decision is left in the hands of
Uncle joe Cannon in the House and his
bunch Of standpatters, or 10 Senators
] Aldrich and Hale in the Senate with their
bunch, there will be no real change in the
tariff schedules. There is every reason to
believe that President.elect Taft desires
something more than q tariff revision
that does not revise and it is hiuted that
he is taking an active part already in pre-
pairing for such change in the tariff
schedules as has been demanded by the
people and promised in the platforms of
both political parties. The primary OBJ.
ject of the extra session which will be
called after March fourth is to have new
tariff law passed. The character Of the
tariff revision will depend largely upon
the organization of the House, and the
organization Of the House will OF course
depend largely upon the Speakership,
for the Speaker controls the personnel of
the Committee on Wav and Means, aud
all other committees. The promise of re.
vision contained in the Republican Ma
tional platform cannot be carried out ac-
eording to-promise unless there is thor
ough oyerhauling of numerous tariff
schedules. It may be assumed that Mr..
Taft does not favor mere tinkering with
the tariff. Il must be inferred from re-
cent utterances of AldFieh OF Rhode Is
land, Hale of Maine, Speaker Cannon,
Elkins of West Virginia aud others known
as stand patters, that the revision contem-
plated by them will be anything but ex-
haustive or genuine. 1t is not remark
able then tbaf politicians, knowing the
character OF the President-elect and the
contentious of the standpatters taken to-
gether with the Republican promises in
the Chicago platform, are expecting Mr..
Taft to be interested in the election of
the Speaker and doubtful if Mr.. Cannon
is the proper person to name the COM
mittees Of the next Congress. Mr. Taftis
known, of course, to be the representatives
of the Rooseyeltian policies, which as Pres
ident Roosevelt has said are also the Taft
policies, for Taft had as much to do in
forming them as himself; and it may be
assumed since the Presideut-eleet is only
human, that he may have some Of the
Rooseveltian likes and disiikes. There
is no love lost between Speaker Cannon
and Mr.. Roosevelt. They as completely
represent the political Antipodes as two
members of the same party could do.
Speaker Cannon opposed about every
thing that Mr.. Roosevelt advocated Dur
ing the week there have been numerous
conferences at the Hot Springs between
the president-elect and the vice president
elect and also with Mr.. Burton, the most !
prominent candidate to succeed Senator
Foraker and the man whom many look |
upon as the logical successor of Speaker
Cannon; and il is thought by many that
there will be sharp contest afRr March |
the fourth and that Uncle Joe may fail |
Of reelection as speaker.
~
The Grange Convention which has just
adjourned, passed a resolution in favor OF
a Parcels Post for farmers. they would,
however, perhaps allow blacksmiths, mill
ers and other denizens of the country to
benefit by it. They also passed resolu-
ton that Senators and Members who
failed to support this measure would fail
of their support. The startling postal de-
fcit Of IL millions might easily be wiped
out by permitting the thirty thousand i
rural route carriers to take parcels weigh.
ing from one two eleven pounds at two
cents pound; and this would place the
postal establishment on paying basis
A bill Of this kind, however, will be op-
posed both In the House OF Representa-
tives andin the Senate, where an aged
Senator frpm New York is president Of
great express company.
~
Secretary Of State Root is expected TO
succeed Senator Thomas NJ. Platt OF New
York whose senatorial term expires on
March the fourth next. Mr.. Root has
the support Of the respectable element in
the State OF New York that elected Gov.
ernor Hughes, but is opposed by some
other aspirants for the senatorship and
notably by Woodruff Not only New
York but the country at large is Interest.
ed in seeing that the services of so erni-
nent and so able man as Secretary Root
shall not be lost to the country. Pfesiy L
dent-elect Taft, it sunderstood, would be
glad to retain him as the head Of his cab
met, but as Senator be will be able TO
voice the administration in Congress and
also can assist by his counsels and in
directly In the cabinet chamber.
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