Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-12

dnead and fill the committee places
that Senator Hopkins had had. If
Speaker Cannon should now become
a Senator he would have to accept
some such Craftsmanship as that of the
Committee on the Potomac River front.
which committee never holds a meet
ing. Places were made for eX-Secre-
tary of State Root but now it would
be embarrassing to make places for
so eminent a Republican as the Speak
err.
The only argument that is advanced
for the Speaker to change his service
from the House to the Senate is that
it would enable him to avoid the par
ty strife row in progress there. But
Speaker Cannon never ran away from
fight and he would not be augment
ing his Importance in history by turn
ing his great Office at this juncturc
over to new hands. Insurgent forces
may press him hard at times but he
always manages to save himself in
some fashion and really likes the tenn
pestuous career which a Speaker of a
House of Representatives nowadays
must look forward to as one of the
inheritances of his Office All in all
he party could i'll afford to spare him
from the Spcakership in such critical
times as those for the revision of a tar
iff.
Right in the midst of the revision
work the control of the House would
have to pass to a new man. Who it
would be no one could easily tell The
scramble would be fierce indeed The
West has now had the Speakership
for ten years and the East would de-
mand it but probably its demand would
not be needed. ANY how it is hardly
to be expected that Illinois will be
willing to swap Speaker for Scna-
tor or that Mr.. Cannon will care to
hang his hat on a peg at the north
end of the Capitol
But with all the troubles that attend
revision of the tariff. troubles that
could not be avoided, President Taft
is welding his party with the cement
of general good will. He has been do
ing his utmost to prevent the different
views, entertained in the various sec
tons of the country about revision,
from making breaches in the relations
There is no prescribed class of Repub-
licars at the White House or at its
offices. All Republicans are welcome
there to talk things over and endeavor
to reach a general understanding. At
the same time he has constantly been
enforcing the idea that the President
can not approve of insurgents-in other
words the President is, must be and
wants to be a regular.
The President has not been bringing
out any new legislative leaders. He
relies absolutely upon the leaders that
Senate and House have chosen after
years of experience with men of diff
erent service there. The cOmmunica-
lions of a more or less confidential
character which the President has to
make to Congress is made through
those leaders and not through men
who have shown Willingness to be
superservcable This has made for
good party discipline at the Capitol.
II has lightened immensely the burdens
of leadership which such men as Sem
atnrs Hale and Aldrich and Speaker
Cannon have to carry.
And the work of the extra session
does not promise to develop any new
men. AS a matter of fact the new
faces in the Senate and the House,
Win the coming III OF TINS congress
We're comparatively few. But none of
them seems likely to flash with any
brilliance across the legislative hori
Zon. Tho older men, who have been
in the harness here a few years are
plod;ng along and there have been no
special opportunities to give Senators
or Re representatives., outside Of the CO.
terie Of leaders, any particular proml-
nencc OF course there have been OPP
portunitics for service on the Ways
and Means Committee of the House
and the Finance Committee Of the
Senate, in connection with the tariff
bill But the now men taken on there
We're very few and they have been de
fcrring to their elders. A great deal
OF valuable effort in shaping IN the
tariff bill performed by individual
members of Ways and Means but it
has nearly all been done in the secret
of the committee room and naturally
hag not been recognized by the public
at large, who have known Chairman
Payne as about tho only member Of
the Committee of particular promi-
nCnCc.