The National tribune., 1909-12-23
POLITICAL.
FoRECASTING.
The President Insisting Upon Harmony
ia the Party-The Speaker and MIR.
Hemenway.

President TaftS recent talks with
| leading politicians from Ohio and In
diana are part of his program to get
| into touch with conditions thruout the
| country and to make ready for good,
hard campaign next year. He has the
Congressional struggle, now only few
months away, very much in mind.
Every possible effort is to be made to
re-elect a Republican House. The
President proposes to be in command
of the operations from the time the
primaries begin, which will be by Feb
ruary-up to the balloting in Novem-
Der.
The successful issue of the Congress
sional campaign would be regarded by
the President as an approval of his Ad-
ministration. 1t would silence the crit
les, who have been active of late, and
would be a most effective argument
against the more radical contingent of
Republicans, already clamoring for the
nomination of Roosevelt in 1912.
Republican members of the House,
including insurgents, are being made to
feel that their fortunes are very much
bound up with those of the President in
this regard. For should there be a
Democratic House after March 4, 1911,
it would mean not only the discontinue
of the Administration and especially of
the President, but the defeat of numer-
Gus Republicans for reelection. The
plea for harmony now being urgently
made proceeds along those lines. In
surgent Republicans have been urged
to cease their operations for the present
session for the sake of party supremacy,
which, after all. is the essential thing
from the Republican standpoint.
1t is also pointed out that a cessation
of the factionalism is more likely to re-
suit in the elimination of Speaker Cam
non. He is not a man to quit under
f1,n ffTrl, .r-N Ii
sides during the Winter it is claimed
that he will have no particular desire
to succeed himself as Speaker, and
probably can be persuaded to retire.
Some of his closest friends are ready to
urge him to put down the gavel at the
end of this Congress, but they say the
situation must be composed before they
can hope to present the case to him
effectively.
Many knowing Republicans are
watching in that connection the recent
resignation of ex-senator James A.
Hemen4 of Indiana, from his en-
pioymeh by the Senate in studying out
plans for. economy in expenditures to
return to Indiana. If Indiana should
elect a Republican Legislature next year
there is no prospect he would be chosen
again to the Senate. Senator Beveridge
would be returned. But friends have
suggested that Mr.. Hemenway stand for
reelection to Congress in the First Dis
trict, now represented by a Democrat.
Mr.. Hemenway is very popular in that
district, and could probably be elected
easily. He was very prominent MEM
ber of the House during his long service
there. became Chairman of Appropria-
tions. and enjoyed the Speakers conf
dence beyond any other member.
If the next House is Republican and
Speaker Cannon does not come up for
reelection, Mr.. Hemenway, as a men,
Der of that body, would undoubtedly
loom prominently for the successorship.
The Cannon support would be thrown
to him, and in the present state of af-
fairs Mr.. Hemenway might win At
least some of the eX-Senator's political
advisers have been holding up to him
the prospects of Speakership honors as
a good reason why he should become
candidate for Congress.
1t is not known that the President
has had any part in encouraging Mr..
Hemenway to this course. But he is
keenly interested in the Indiana situa-
ton, and will make every effort to de-
feat numerous Democratic Congress-
men of Hoosierdom for reelection.
Both Ohio and Indiana now have
large Democratic representation in the
House. If those two delegations could
be made largely Republican any Demo-
cratic prospects of winning the next
House would be tremendously reduced.
OF course, the President is Interested in
seeing a Republican elected Governor
of Ohio next year, to put the present
Democratic Governor, Judson Harmon,
out of the Presidential running in 1912
But his chief concern at present is the
House of Representatives, and it is
likely TO remain his chief concern till
the votes for Congressman are counted
next November.