The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-03-10
TAFT DOESN'T WISH
HOUSE FIGHT ON
SPEAKERSHIP
Believes Struggle Will Endanger
Tariff Revision
INSURGENTS DISHEARTENED
President Especially Objects to Pro
posed Alliance of Republican and
Democratic Members.

Washington, March 10-President
Taft, in making the early enactment
of satisfactory tariff bill his first
consideration, has gone so far as to
take hand in the rumpus between
the Cannon men and the House insur-
gents. Up to date his action has Civ
en- a great deal of aid and comfort to
the Cannon followers. The president
appears in fact, to be lined up with
the speaker to prevent the insurgents
from even revising the rules at the
extra session to begin next Monday.
to say nothing of preventing any at
tempt to defeat Mr.. Cannon for re-
election
Mr.. Taft fears any such fight will
not only delay the tariff bill, but may
prevent its enactment in satisfactory
form. Also, while opposed, on prin-
ciple, to the sort of thing that Speak
er Cannon stands for he is opposed
as well, on principle, to a deal be-
tween members of his party and the
Democrats He believes that the
speakership and the alteration of the
rules should be fought out and settled
III q tbuCuN vi ItHuDllCdIlS.
The insurgent leaders were hard
hit yesterday when Mr.. Taft explained
his attitude to them. He did it at
meeting with Messrs. Gardner of Mas
sachusetts, Madison of Kansas, and
Nelson of Wisconsin, who called in
the afternoon at the White House and
remained more than an hour. The in
surgents had heard it charged that
Mr. Taft intended to join hands with
the House organization in the interest
of getting the tariff bill through and
hurried to the White House to urge
MIR. Taft to take seat on the fence
and leave the fignting to them.
The insurgents did their best to
give the president complete assurance
that their fight over the rules would
not endanger the tariff bill. They
promised him that in case they were
defeated on the first day of the new
session, they would not filibuster or
endeavor to obstruct the work of the
house in any manner but would con-
tent themselves with waiting until an
other opportunity arose. They even
went so far as to promise that in case
they should win on next Monday they
would not disturb the new Ways and
Means committee, but would permit
all the Republicans who had been en-
gagged in the preparation of the tariff
bill to retain their membership. They
explained that every insurgent was a
staunch Taft man and pledged them
selves to work In absolute harmony
for his program. They assured him
that they are ali in favor of thor
ough and prompt revision of the tariff
and would do all in their power to
facilitate the passage of such a bill.
But that did not quiet the fears of
the president that the inevitable re-
suit of the kind of fight the insurgents
contemplated would certainly delay,
If not more seriously endanger, the
tariff bill. Moreover the whole insur-
gent plan of campaign was based up
on cooperation with the Democrats,
and Mr. Taft hit them squarely be.
tween the eyes by declaring against
any such alliance. He took the pos
ition that if the revolt once got start
ed there was no telling where it could
be stopped