The Washington times., 1909-10-12
Planning TO Line Up Sup
porterS in the
Senate.
LITTLE SYMPATHY
FOR LA TOILETTE
Wisconsin Senator Will Be Left
Out of Conferences on
Vital Questions.
By J. C. WELLIvER.

By !. c. WELLIVER.
With Attorney General Wickersham
already at work In the effort 10 draft
/ legislation for the regulation Of the rail-
roads and of industrial COZ pOratons en-
/ gagged in interstate commerce, and with
| several leaders Of legislative thought
| soon to appear in Washington for the
| purpose Of conference with the Admin
/ istration fuminaries regarding the for
mutation nf these measures, II will DO
| only 2 short time until the air OF Con-
| gress'onaI seriousness Will begin 10 set
| tie once more over the Capital
! President Taft, about the time Con-
/ gress adjourned, frankly discussed
/ his ideas concesning legislation along
/ these lines with a number Of members
Of both houses The understanding Is
at that time the President views
! did not we'll coincide with those
/ Of some Of the men who have long been
moving for more legislation. But the
/ Des Moines speech of Mr. Taft indicated
/ he had considerably changed his
opinions, and the change was in
the direction Of concession to those
/ Western Republicans who are looked
u0on as radicals concerning these propO-
sidons. While the Des Moines speech
did not by any means go far enough
ITO satisfy many Of these Western states
men, It was decidedly a concession to
/ their general opinions.
Cummins Invited.
Senator Cummins is one Of the most
important of the men who have been
invited 20 come to Washington soon
after November I for conference with
the Attorney General and the Interstate
/ Commerce authorities in connection with
the serious business Of framing legisla-
tom Senator Borah. of Idaho. who also
has some progressive opinions, is eX-
pected to be another who will be con
suited. The opinions Of Senator Dol
liver win especially be sought concern
/ ing legislation for amendment cT the
Hepburn act and for control Of spitall-
zatlon. The Senator's prominence in the
preparation and management Of the
Hepburn act and the fact he had
prepared an elaborate measure for the
control Of capitalization. explain his
claims to consideration. Senator Clapp,
another Of the progressives who took
leading part N getting the Hepburn
measure through the Senate, will come
in for hearing
The President, in short wants to as
sure his program viii have the
support OF the particular men who were
not able TO 90 with him IN the making
of the tariff measure. II he can induce
these men to assume the leadership IN
the contest for this nsw class of Iegis-
latlOn. he will have gained a great
moral victory, as well as most impor-
taut political one.
These men in the tariff contest lined
themselves up against the President
and his program. Their leadership Of
the sentiment which has been dispIeas-
ed with the tariff bill has been one Of
the most potent influences in arousinr
hostility TO that measure IN the middle
West. The feeling has become strong /
in that section. that these critical Sena- !
tors know more about the merits of
the tariff bin than the President him /
self knows, and there was much .
justification for their attitude Of opposi- I
ton That sentiment might become a 7
most important political force ia the
next year or two unless somehow anay- /
cd. No more effective way could be 4
found 10 counteract IL. than 10 enlist
these same Senators as the leaders In .
favor on an important Administration +
program.
La Toilette Left Out.
The understanding is that one i1gu- /
entail mid Western Senator has been
omitted from the invitation list for
these conferences before the OMEN
ng OF the December session. He
is Senator La Toilette The deveIOp-
ing relations between la Toilette and
the Administration strongly suggest /
the President is not going TO give
much couutenance to- the radical Wis
cOnsiu statesmen. There is complaint /
from Wisconsin Ihat the Federal patron
age there is being used uniformly for
the purpose of weakening la Toilette
and strengthening his opponents. who
are preparing for a great fight to de-
feat Ia Toilette next year
RumOr relates this attitude has
rather been forced upon the President
by reason OF the demands Of influential
Eastern Senator's whose hostility 20 1 "a
Toilette has led them TO insist thay
cannot regard ass friendly any 1f--[-
gram which recognizes la Toilette
more than is absolutely necessary That
there IFS WI0e-rea ching array of in
Nueurca determined TO prevent La Fol
lottc's return to the Senate is insisted
by the friends of the Senator and in
deed 81 ls admitted by people who com
monty are close to- the higher powers of
Republican pOutics-those powers which
are in touch with large business inter
osts.
The relations between the Admins
tration and Senator La Toilette are not
likely to- Doe improved iu view Of the in
tercsfinE coincidence uy which Ia Fol
Ietc's autmuaI lecture tour will take
him along the trail of the Presidents
Western trip. making speeches iu de
uunciatiUu of the Payne-AIdTlch tariff
measure. La FoUettos Weekly Maya
zine has been enthusiastically attack
ing the Administration stand on the /
conservation question for some time.
demanding Secretary BaliHger be re-
tired. Ia retaliation for this, As some |
politicians think. the Administration is
auagiuE TO handle Wisconsin patron
age without ad ice from la Toilette.
However the conservation issue had /
mot yet been raised when 1t was made /
apparent TO the friends of - Toilette |
thlt the state patronage was TO be
handled by tho enemies OF the Senator.
Under the circumstances. la Toilette S |
political salvation seems TO lie in muk-
ing the best OF a bad situation. ana IL /
is sUTmiscd that ne Will from this time
forth lose no opportunity 10 capitalize .
the fact the Administration has been
uufricudjy 90 him.
Whether the administrator efforts
70 line mp Senator's Cummins, Cla3p