The Washington herald., 1909-10-27

Hickman. Ky, Oct. 2s-President Tart
and Uncle Joe Cannon, on tho trip down
the Mississippi River, are fighting out the
question whether or not bonds should be
issued for the improvement Of inland
waterways. Speaker Cannon viii be found
supporting Mr. Taft IN the recommends
ton, provided the President cannot be
dissuaded, but the Speaker will do his
best 20 get him to change his mind
Uncle Joe's enemies are saying his sup
port Of bond issue would be only a
partial fulfllment Of promises made By
the Republican leader In Congress when
President Taft signed the Payne tariff
bill In the meantime, however. the
Speaker is showing on this cruise down
the river that he differs radically from
the President on the proposition.
Has Condemned Plan.
The President. in one or two Of his re-
cent speeches. has condemned the plan
on which the waterways Improvements
have been carried out. To-day at Roth
the Speaker lauded the contract system
in the presence OF TIE President.
1T has operated well" said he. hun
dreds OF millions OF dollars have been
expended II is a good system. Il has
brought order into method Of doing the
government work and / am for the sys-
tenn"
Again, paraprasing Agripha's reply 70.
ST. Paul, Uncle Joe said turning TO Presi-
dent Taft: Thou almost persuadest mo
10 be as thou art. save as 10 these
bonds"
he went on 70 say there was no neces-
sity for the issuing OF bonds untn ths
pans for the Improvements had boen
definitely settled and the plans FOR the
work had been assembled.
Tue. Speakers sfTeCh was sort OF a
vet blanket Tor the nfteen boat loads oe
/ deep waterways ToOters. although Uncle
: joe had done his hest 10 soften ils effect.
( He had declared he inSorsed every word
Of Mr.. Tafts ST. Louis waterways
speech. then he promptly turned around
and made exceptions.
Cannon Dampens Ardor.
You want 20 know how / stand on the
I improvement Of inland waterways ana
our harbors," said 0Ir. Cannon. We'll
Just read the Presidents St. Louis speech.
and then you can say 90 yourself that
is what Cannon and all the rest OF the
Illinois delegation believes"
in publicly accepting the Presidents
/ speech. the Speaker. Of course. indorses
/ his statements against tre pork barrel
7 politics in distributing the river and har-
Dor Improvements. This Endorsement.
coming from the man who has held tho
cover 10 the pork barrelr for a good
many years. was received with smiles by
the $50 members OF Congress ar the Cairo
meeting.
Nearly all Of the delegates who are
steering their zigzag course over the
Mississippi River sand bars are roofing
only for a deepening Of that river into q
fourteen-foot channel That was the I'm
provement which IS pressing; that is the
one for which Congress must authorizs
bonds In the next session.
President Taft indicated to-day that the
Mississippi could wait until The Ohio
River improvements were finished. II
was a cruel blow to the junketers here
They have three days more OF this sand
bar lodging cruise ahead OF them. and
the President has taken all the wind out
OF their sails so far as the next session
Of Congress Is concerned.
Tt seems better" said the President.
TO push first the completion Of O. Ohio
River Improvements as a demon ZION
or what can be done, and then up
the Mississippi Perhaps that plan 1t
meet the views Of the people in the .
sissppi Valley and Illinois. but tho
graduate themselves that ] haven't
70 -
Taft Perfectly Safe.
In making this statement at Cairo.
Taft was perfectly safe, so far as ,le
audience OF 1890 was concerned. for that
city is at the mouth Of the Ohio. Some
of the deep waterways people accused
Mr. Taft Of being a diplomat in reserv-
ing this important statement for Cairo,
and he accepted the impu.atlon.
Uncle Joe. in his Cairo speech. made
a heroic suggestion. It am not In the
same situation as the President" said he.
He had a great deal TO say. but lacked
the voice, I've got the voice, but haven't
much to say. II I could only put my
throat on his shoulders and give him nv
voice, with his head, what a magnificent
talk You would get now"
Uncle Joe laid his cigar on the platform
F1llAlE Mlllit ne was Sif-ltFAAi4-r hAN oaA4
damn" once OF twice Just 20 make his
Identification certain.
The governors banquet 20 the President
on the stern-wheeler st. Paul was held
tonight
The President made only three stops to-
day. Cape Girardeaux. No. was the first.
The President was out there before day
break It was the earliest he has been
routed out on the trip. but the Mississippi
people met him half way. There was a
big crowd on the levee, and all were
shivering with the cold. Twenty Indians
from a nearby ranch and the same num-
Der Of cowboys were waiting 20 act as
Mr.. Tafts escort. The President could
not make out in the dim morning hght
what the peculiar figures ahead were.
oh" said a local committeeman. "they
are Indians with their feathers and war
paint"
The President had delivered a speech at
the State Normal School, planted a tree.
and inspected the school before the sun
had shown itself He was back on his
boat by Z O'Clock.