The Washington times., 1908-11-11

/ TO justify. would be an attitude of per
sistent opposition, at the short session,
/ by Ine Speaker TO the Roosevelt pol
icies If during the next four months,
Speaker Cannon does two things, he
viii be faced with a determined oppo-
slu0n for reelection.
Two Things He May Do.
These two things are:
To oppose the Roosevelt policies. per-
sOnally, and through his control OF the
House machinery.
To permit 1t to become understood
that if reelected Speaker. he would re-
organize his COmitttees in such fashion
as TO make them generally hostile TO
Roosevelt policies.
There has been no conference of the
anti Cannon forces in the House. No
plans have been laid. All that is known
certainly is that the President owes
nothing to the Speaker; that Mr. Taft
sympdthiZes with the President S feel
ings, and thot there is powerful ele-
menJ NJ dissatisfied Republicans in the
House who will be disposed TO take
whatever cue comes from the Admins
ration-outgoing and incoming.
The men who have been ranked as Op-
posed 10 the Speaker insist that they
want liberalization of the House rules
They want the Speakers power les
sened. They demand that the majority
get assurance of those things. they
would be willing to accept Nj. Cannon
again.
Attitude to Be Plain.
The Speakers general attitude will be
pretty plain before the end of the short
session. He will have opportunity 10
indicate whether he believes his policies,
or those Of the President, were Endorsed
at the polls. YOu can figure out either
result The Speaker and his associates
in the House management can reason
ably claim that the program, in the
main, won at the national convention,
and was indJrsed at the polls. The
President can just as strongly insist
that huge popular majority for
his candidate was also a majority for
his program. Landslides do queer
things In it's anxiety 60 beat the
Democrats, the country utterly forgot TO
indicate which kind OF RepubliCanlsm
IL meant TO place In power,
Speaker Cannon VIII have some i'm
pOrtant committee chairmanships 10 dis
tribute If he is reelected. Judiciary will
need chairman. and II is NOWADAYS
rather the most important policy com
mittee" in the House Before the
Speakership election, fl will be pretty
wen KNOWN what sort or chairman Us
10 be named for Judiciary, for Post
offices. for Interstate Commerce. and
who Is 70 be named to succeed Mr.
sherman on Rules The indicated
choices for these places. together with
the course Of she Speaker in the short
session, VIII largely determine whether
there is 70 be opposition 10 him for
another term as Speaker.
Cannon Feels Endorsed.
That Speaker Cannon feels that his
program Of conservatism. of holding
back, Of reluctance to be hurried intC
progressive legislative enterprises
has been indorsed, is apparently indi-
Gated by his speech about conservation
of natural resources. development Of
waterways. construction Of the 18th
milan canal He indicated very little
sympathy with any Of these things,
and pointed out the Importance. pri-
marily. OF looking after national f.
nanCes.
But there is the best Of authority for
the statement that despite his conf
dent air, the Speaker IS nervous about
his situation. He hurried down East as
soon as election was over, and IL is
understood that his powerful friends
among the interests concerned with
tariff revision. are ready to use all en-
'rgies 10 assure his continuance in the
chair during the tariff revision session.
Z is a huge stake TO play for, this
az controlling the House when Il is
making a tariff law.
There will be some fast playing and
the result will not be determined for
some months yet.