The Washington times., 1909-12-27
Fate of Congressional Or
ganization Believed TO Rest
on Present Session.
DO-NOTHING POLICY
MAY RUIN LEADERS
Aidrich and Cannon May Have to
Yield TO Taft TO Save
Themselves.
BY IoHN sNuRE.

BY JOHN SNURE.
Republican leaders I'm the Senate and
House are telling their supporters that
they are face 20 face with a political
crisis OF the biggest sort, and that
nothing less than the fate Of the Re
publican party is at stake.
They ara making It clear that on the
Developments in Congress after the
holidays will depend the question
whether the House is going to continue
Republican or be turned over to the
Democrats, and that even the fate OF
the 1912 campaign may be involved.
Not only are these matters at issue
which the leaders believe to be of the
most vital concern to the party itself
but they perceive clearly that the
present session Of Congress may de
termine whether the old regime in the
Senate and House is going TO maintain
its grip on things, or whether the in
Furgent forces are 10 gather such
strength as TO depose the old rulers and
s. turn Off Aldrich and Hale and Cannon
and their lieutenants for younger and
more progressive men.
Charged With Politics.
One OF the matters which is sur
charged with all sorts Of politics is the
b Investigation OF the Ballinger-Pinchot
controversy This in itself would be
sufficient to cause apprehension to the
Senate and House leaders. But on top
OF this is the inability thus far Of the
President and the leaders in the Senate
90 get together on a legislative pro-
gram.
The railroad program is particularly
the cause Of trouble. The Cannon
leaders in the House are not en-
Jhusiastic about strengthening mate
fially the hands OF the Interstate Com
merce Commission, but they are not
in position to take as firm a stand as
the Senate leaders, and they viii prob
ably have 10 yield and go along with
whatever the President wants in re-
spect to railroad legislation.
Should the Ballinger-PinChOt inves-
tgauon develop that there has been
tolerance of schemes to loot the public
domain In high quarters, as is charged
by the enemies of Ballinger, it win be
hard blow to the Administration and
70 the Republican party, inasmuch as
the leaders in the Senate and House
as well as the President are backing
Ballinger.
Strength to Democrats.
II the President IS unable to get
{. through Congress by reason Of the op-
position of the Senate leaders any Of
the legislation he wants as TO rail-
roads, postal savings banks and cor
porations, and the Congress does prac-
tically nothing in the way Of construc-
tive and progressive legislation, there
Is no doubt II viii give strength TO the
Democrats IN their efforts 10 control
the House. and viii fan the flames Of
Insurgency. The Senate and House
leaders VIII be threatened hard with
At the same time, Senator Aldrich.
and the old organization leaders in the
Senate viii go far before they give the
interstate Commerce Commission the
authority which the President is ask
ang- Ihey are anxious for party sue
cess ana they 90 not want TO strength
en- the cause either Of the Democrats
Or insurgents. But they view with deep
alarm the disposition 90 make more and
more absolute the hand of the Govern
corporations.
Whether in the last analysis the Sen
ete leaders viii carry their opposition
10 progressive legislation on the rail-
roads ana corporations 20 the point Of
preventing anything being done If il
does not suit them, and letting the Re
publican party take its chances on a
oo-notnIng program, remains TO be
seen. LhIs Is a phase Of the situation
70 Whlch the leaders viii give a lot OF
thought and discussion through the
holidays
Want Short Session.
The leaders In Congress want In c7lt
the session short They want 70 have
as little general legislation as will en-
able the Republican party 20 scrape
through with control Of the House and
enable them TO keep their skins whole
from the attacks OF Democrats and in
suFgents- on the other hand, to enact
railroad legislation Of anything Ike the
scope proposed in the bin drawn for
the President by Attorney General
4 f.r-
constitutional lawyers in the Senate
viii want q whack al H. IL can he
damned through the House. but cannot
be hastened through the Senate The
question OF control OF railroad capital |
EauCn alone viii require long s,ts.zte
consideration.
This probS oily means that unless The
President and the Senate Leaders <ay1
agree on a bill not later Than i'm The
session after the recess, A viii he
Prscucally impossible TO get any inter
sac commerce measure of a compre-
henslve sort through
VIII Fight Hard.
What adds TO the political compiled
tons is the disposition or the iusurg-
ents In both houses to be uupleasantIv
aggressive. The insurgents are going to
Tight hard for a vigorous and progress
sive program Of legislation This is cs-
pecially true in the Senate where the
Insurgents are more free TO operate
than In the House. Senator Cummius
lor instance, Is planning most agrees
slVe course " it'll respect 10 railroad leg
lslation and ne viii have "A strong fol- /
lowing ANY attempt 10 prevent rail
road legislation OF % shove through Leg
islation OF this subject OF an inverte- /
brate AID evisccrated sort will raise
no end of trouble.
The speeter OF the return of Roosc-
rct which hangs over the whole pol
itical situation, AZ affected by iegisla- |
ton and the Baliinger-Plnchot inves-
ugauOn, is enough 20 make the leaders /
in the Senate and House nervous. They /
ridicule the talk of any "back-frOm- /
Elba" movement but the thing haunts /
them and gives them fits, shiVers and I