The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-11-04
FEELING OF POLITICAL UNREST.
Cann0nlsm Likely to Be Campaign
Issue In Middle West-Dissatisf
ton With Tariff.


having visited central and southern
Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska,
Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and In
diana. have discussed politics with
United States Senator's, Congress-
men, Federal Officials, State officers,
members of State Legislatures, ed
itors of newspapers, political bosses,
and politicians, and plain citizens,
The significant fact which my inves-
! tigation has developed is the resent
ment everywhere expressed in the
communities l visited to the gover1f-
mental control exercised by such con-
servative stand-patters as Senator
Aldrich, of Rhode Island, and Speak
er Cannon, of Illinois, says John
Callan OLaughlin, in Chicago Trib-
une.
AS a corollary, and of far greater
Importance, is the further fact that
the Republican party is arrayed into
two hostile camps, both defiant, both
determined to rule or ruin. On the
one hand are the Stalwarts, the men
who have supported or who believe
in what so frequently has been de-
scribed as reactonary politics,
standing unitedly behind Senator AL
drich and Mr. Cannon. On the other,
and unquestionably in the majority,
q In ip1r
tient of restraint, determined that
the forward movement of the nation
begun under President Roosevelt,
shall not be arrested.
The only conclusion possible to ar
rive at is that the Republican party
must be, to use a term of the Insur-
gents, "regenerated," or a third party
will be the outcome.
Present Situation Serious.
This situation is so serious as to
deserve the most careful study and
consideration of the leaders of the
Republican party. The Democratic
party, owing to the participation of
many of its representatives in the
scramble for high tariff duties, can
not take advantage of the present
plight of it's historic enemy. More
over, in the Democratic party, as in
the Republican party, there is pro-
portion of Independent voters so
large as to swing an election in any
direction it considers advisable.
1t may be suggested that for some
years now the Independent vote has
been of such a size as to demand
consideration from party leaders
But never in the Middle West has il
attained the figure which it is today
l say this with full realization of the
fact that there is an undertone OF
conservatism in the States comprised
within this section.
What is the cause of this condi-
ton? l discovered that the charac-
ter of tariff revision given the party
at the extra session which closed in
August had something to do with it.
But after all this was merely symp.
tomato. The prime objection is
based upon the general unwillingness
longer to permit the government tC
be directed by such men as Senator
Aldrich and Speaker Cannon; longer
to permit the popular will for ad.
vanced legislation to be thwarted by
the attitude of these representatives
Aldrich and Cannon Distrusted.
For Senator Aldrich there exists
admiration for his personal honesty
and integrity, for his high ability and
decisive character. But the Middle
West believes that Aldrich has been
reared in an environment totally diff.
ferent from that in which it lives. II
charges that his association with
capital has warped his views as to
the needs of the people outside OF
the East. 1t does not consider that
his direction of the United States
Senate is in it's interest. 1t looks
upon Speaker Cannon as tarred with
the same brush, but there seems to be
greater objection to him personally
as well as officially. The Insurgents
have been busy with oratorical paint
brushes, and they have presented the
Speaker in an unlovely way.
1t is not much to say that the over
shadowing issue of the Congressional
campaign next year will be Aldrich.
ism and Cannonism. So far as Sen.
ator Aldrich is concerned his posi-.
ton in his State is unassailable. A
different situation exists with respect
to Speaker Cannon.
1t is the intention of the Insur-
gents in the States which have Wis.
tied to require pledge from every
Republican elected that he will vote
against Cannon for another term in
the Speakers chair. Subsidiary tc
this proposition is that the rules OF
the House of Representatives shall
be revised. In behalf of the Speaker
1t may be said he is meeting the issue
courageously. He has gone into the
heart of the Insurgent region, he has
expressed his views as to insurgency
in no uncertain words, and he Ii
prepared to carry on the campaign
with the intense yigor of his charac.