Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-07-15
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
Washington, July 15.-That he is in
deep water about the tariff bill and not
just certain which way to swim to get
out of it, is the realization which has
come to President Taft recently. in the
opinion of the friends of downward re-
vision who have had occasion in the
last few days to discuss the matter
with him.
The presidents relations with SEN
ator Aldrich. Speaker Cannon and the
other leaders of the tariff forces, have
been uniformly excellent He has made
lit part of his fixed policy to cooper
ate, and to let the big stick lie idle.
But some developm ents of the last few
days have given the president concern.
and have made other people wonder
whether his relations with the party
organization in congress will come
thru the final test of the conference
without disruption.
| The most sensational story of the
| developments in these relations con-
Germs the makeup of the house con-
ference committee. The president
wrote a letter to Speaker Cannon, ask
ing him to put Representative Eben-
ezer j. Hill, of Connecticut on the con-
ference committee. The speaker not
only did not put Mr.. Hill on, but in
stead placed on the committee two de-
termined adherents of the high-tariff
view, Fordney of Michigan, and Cald-
erhead Of Kansas.
To this time. the f. Ct that the pres
ident made such eirect personal -e-
guest by The speaker. and that the
speaker utterly ignored it. has been
known oniy to very limited few p"o-
pie. In the last TWO days the 'ir".e
has been widening. and the most ex-
IRENE wonderment has been expressed
as to what took place between the
prrsi'ent and the speaker whan they
got together after the conference COM
nittee had been announced.
Without knowledge that the presi-
dent had gone so far as to make a
request in behalf of Mr. Hill, people
in touch with the house situation in
stantly recognized that the conference
committee was not the sort of one he
would want. 1t was so manifestly made
up with the purpose of sustaining the
highest possible rates that the COM
mon observation was that 1t must be
IN substance either the Aldrich bill or
a veto. But when it became known
that in order to make up high tar
if conference the speaker had rejected
the direct request of the president, the
Impression gained ground fast that the
!,e ;,,b4 IN 1,rao nh,
Mr. Hill is looked upon as the most
literally disposed of all the New Eng
landers toward downward revision His
position on the ways and means com
mittee entitled him to a place on the
conference unless standing and SEN
ority were to be entirely disregarded
as they finally were. The presidents
request was added to the force of this
general claim of Mr. Hill. and still he
; was rejected. The committee as finally
made up is as completely devoted tc
the high tariff idea as the senate com
nittee is under the domination of Sen
a,or Aldrich.
These things have not passed Presi
dent Taft without attracting his atten
ton. Those who have talked to hin
this week believe that he is coming t.
realize that an appeal to the countr.
and to the insurgent sentiment of botl
houses. as against the leaders, is like
ly to be necessary.
The natural course in such situa
ton would be to let the tip go out
that the first conference report mus
be rejected by the house. which it i
believed could be accomplished if tn
president would give the word. MI
Taft has not got far enough yet to b.
convinced that such course will b.
necessary; but there is reason to be
lieve that if the first report should b
such that ne could not give approval
he might take this course.
Such a procedure would mean wa
with the organization leaders in bot
!, houses. 1t would mean the administra
> TONS general Endorsement of tn
course the insurgents have pursue
) from the beginning, and it would impl
that in future he will have to worl
, with the insurgents and democrats an
against the regulars for whatever legis
lativee program he may have to present
; Yet it is being presented to Mr.. Taf
In many forms. particularly in letter
from all over the country, that tn
most popular thing he could do woul
be to make a fight against the lead
ers, and if necessary veto the bill. Tha
would be a revolutionary thing in poll
, tics, and would start on the instan
such a war as politics has not seen II
{ many years 1t would mean a com
? plete reversal of all the tendencies an
! reorganization of all alliances whic
= have existed since the new admins
tration came into mower For the pres
ent it can only be said that peopl
familiar with inner relations, and espe
: cially with the presidents feeling
about the makeup OF the house confer
ence committee, believe that the pos
sibility of such an outcome is grow
ing more serious than every before.