The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-03-12
Seeks Harmony Between
Cannon and Insurgents.
ANXIOUS ABOUT THE TARIFF.
Confers With Both Sides-Wants
His Cabinet Officers to Be Su.
preme In Their Various
Departments.

Washington, March 10. - Presidem
Taft is earnestly desirous that har.
mony be restored In the house Of rep
resentatives ON the eve of the impor-
tant session to revise the tariff. There
were reports in Washington that Mr..
Taft had arrayed himself squarely on
the side Of Speaker Cannon In the con-
test which he is waging with the in
surgent Republican members. 1t is GER
tain that these reports were largely
exaggerated. The indications are that.
while the president is working to pre-
vent a continuance of the fight, he is
trying to do so without offense to the
insurgents and without expressing any
opinion over the contest
The position Of the new president is
simply that the majority party in con-
gress should by every means within its
power seek to prevent an unfriendly
and damaging contest within its own
ranks. The vital import Of the tariff
legislation, he believes, would be great
ly hindered by a continuance Of the
factional fight, and it is even within
the range of possibility that the ex-
traOrdinary session which is to begin
on the 18th Of this month would be
protracted far beyond the date upon
which 1t might readily be expected to
adjourn with all its important work
finished.
Representative Payne of New York,
chairman of the committee on ways
and means, called at the White House
ond tallyod with M T,o o. for &ha avsa%
ing order Of things. When he left the
White House, Mr.. Payne said be had
told Mr.. Taft that TIE tariik hill .woulll
= be ready to report IN st5l6E4fsy tley "
the session, but that he could not
prophecy what would happen If the
present chaotic conditions in the house
were to continue.
Congressman Gardner of Massachu-
setts, Madison of Kansas and Nelson
Of Wisconsin, representing the insur-
gents, were also In conference with the
president. When they came out Of the
executive offices Mr.. Gardner declared
that the insurgents were no longer in
compromising mood.
1--WE are firmly impressed that Mr..
Taft Is not opposed to a change of the
rules" said Mr.. Gardner, "but he Is a
little fearful that contest now would
cross the line and interfere with the
passage of the tariff bill"
An effort was made by Mr.. Madison
to show that there is no such danger
in the fight they are conducting. He
said that he had told Mr.. Taft that he
and his colleagues were not disposed
to interfere with the continuance of
the present ways and means commit
tee and that he thought he could prom
Use that no objection would be made to
the continuance Of the old committees
on any subjects that the president
feels inclined to ask legislation at the
present session.
President Taft's cabinet is to be
clothed with powers the like Of which
have not been known in Washington
for many years. Under Mr.. Roosevelt
the cabinet members were hardly more
than figureheads in some cases. With
Mr.. Taft 1t will be different. The new
presidents plan is to rid himself as far
as possible of the petty worries of dis
pensation of small patronage. He In
tends to put responsibilities on the
cabinet members not only as to this,
but in many other ways, and he ex'
poets each cabinet minister to be big
enough to handle the burdens of his
nnrtment