The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-09-27
Powerful Opposition Is Now
Growing in MinneSOtan'S
District.
TARIFF MEASURE
CAUSE OF TROUBLE
Handling of Bill Aroused Anger of
Folks in the Gopher
State.

The war has just got fairly started mp
in the First Minnesota district, which
JIM Tswney represents I'm the House.
This Is the word which reaches Wash
in=ton from reliable quarters.
II Is an open question whether rawney
will be able TO survive politically. The
at,e head OF tho Appropriations Com
mittee IS beset with powerful opposition.
and the recent visit of President TAFT 70
Winons and his Endorsement of Tawney
has failed 10 quel that opposition In any
measure. Minnesota is noted for its in
dependent voting and the call Of party
does not have an extremely strong in
Huence in Tawneys district.
President Taft chose WinOna as the
place to defend the tariff bin and give
Tswney some needed help. But the
feeling that has been stirred up over
tariff is strong and the opponents OF
the measure have not had their ardor
checked. They hope to beat Tawney for
the nomination, but if he is nominated
he will then have a fight to get himself
elected. The district is a close one and
in the last campaign Tawney was about
$500 votes ahead of his Democratic OPP
ponent. Andrew French.
Tawrey is devOting all his time to get
ting things shaped up in the district
lie Is nAlnE his DOMAlIdi uAltituEtS ~
every turn. He is making number
of speeches about the district. In his
speeches he Is defending the tariff bill
and saying il is a good measure.
Ii is this line of defense of his course
in voting for the bill that is angerlns
the tariff revislonists in his district
They saw he is well aware the bill is
not a good one, and that he is not frank
in his explanation OF why he voted fOI
the measure. They say that TaWney
was so tied up with the Cannon organ
ization he could not 90 otherwise than
vote for the bill. and that the wise
course for him to take is 10 admit this
was the case. and the bill was not such
q one as merited his support but that
nc was impelled to vote for IL for res-
sons connected with his position in the
House Republican organization. Such
an explanation, 'Tawney's opponents say.
would be the truth ana would be re-
CeiVed BY the voters with better grace
than an argument that the bill Is good.
Tawney is going 10 take no chances
Of defeat. and will conduct the most
vigorous campaign he has ever conduct
81. The matter of staying In Congress
is peculiarly appealing TO him just now
for the reason he sees the retirement OF
Mir Cannon from the office OF Speaker
s. not far distant. This il quite likely
10 he the last tern for Mr.. Cannon as
head of the House. At any rate, there
IS q prospect Il viii be. Tawney has
ambitions 10 be Speaker. He has LONG
had them. He sees possibility of these
ambitions bearing fruit, perhaps. in the
next Congress, and he IS peculiarly la3 Il
10 give I'D his seat in the House at thi;
time.
An important fact in the situation
which IS IN Tawney's favor is that the
Republican opposition has no stronf
man. apparently. on which to unite fol
the purpose OF keeping the nomination
from Tawney- IL is quite likely the
Democrats viii settle again on Andrew
French. who ran against Tawney In tn,
last Congressional election.
one OF the sources OF trouble for Mr.
TaNneV. aside from, the tariff, is thu
row nc got into with Roosevelt over tho
uses Of the Secret Service. This con
troversy has enabled his opponents e
say that he IS hostile to the Roosevelt
policies. Another source Of trouble 5.
tho opposition of some OF The powerful
tariff revision new sDapers OF the North
west, especially Minneapolis and St
Paul. which circulate literally I'm nj
district.