The Sentinel=record., 1909-11-07

ator LaFollette and myself a super
 heated chamber in this region of the damned. With all these imprecations expulsions and exterminations stil
 ringing in my ears, feel like a mem
 Der of the fated brigade of which the poet sang:
 Cannon to the right of them,
 Cannon to the left of them,
 Volleyed and thundered.
 Tt may be, however, that can summon enough composure and saln my shattered nerves sufficiently to lay before you some suggestions which appear to me to be pertinent upon the issue which has thus been raised Let it be understoon, once for all, that we accept the challenge and are ready for the fight.
 Tt ought not to be forgotten as We proceed, and as we are looking into the right of Republicans to bear that honored name, that together with an other unfortunate insurgent whose Aoice, calling the faithful to Republi- can prayers, has been heard from ocean to ocean in every campaign for quarter of a century, 1 represent in the Senate Of the United States, a state which has cast it's electoral vote for the Republican candidates for President for fifty-three years; and that l hold my place, not by chance, but through toilsome campaigns in which the opinions that were carried into my vote upon the tariff bill were proclaimed over and oyer asain in every hamlet in the commonwealt.. When l recall these long continued struggiest against the very force em- bodied in the speaker of the House ot Representatives and in the man who in fact made the tariff bill what it is, and when I recall the outcome oi these fierce controversies, you will not think it strange if resent these charges of inhdelity, and call foi judgment
 The day has come for an inquiry into the qualifications of q Republican, am willing to accept an arbiter, but it will not be Aldreh, it will not be Payne, it will not be Cannon. They are all Republicans, and 1 hope they will continue to be Republicans. 1 assume they voted according to their consciences; and while l differ from them materially and emphatically, ; have no disposition to enter the busi- ness of expeling men from the Re publican party so long as they yield even a nominal allegiance to RepuD- lican platfowns and support Republi. say it with the utmost good feeling for them personally that the Repuh- licans who are in sympathy with the course pursued by the insurgents in- tend to take away from these men some of the power which they now exercise, and intend to reduce their influence to that point at which they will feel it necessary to consult rather than to command.
 Tt will not avail MT. Cannon and his associates anything to declare that we have joined hands with the Democratic party. for every intelli. gent man knows that this is simply an appeal to a blind passion and a .senseless prejudice. The insurgents believe that the Republican party is the best instrumentality to secure and maintain good government. They are proud of it's history, they love it's tra- ditions; and I venture the prediction that in the campaign of next year their voices will be heard high above all other defending it's doctrines and sustaining it's candidates. Their strug gle will be within the lines, but they will not hide the truth as they see it; for they know that if the Republican party is to be permanently successful it must be faithful to it's platform, and must meet courageously and just ly the new age of commerce and business with it's new problems and questions It cannot any longer oe progressive in it's platform and stand pat in it's congress.
 "A few months ago, said that was willing to accept an arbiter as to the Republicanism of those who voted against the tariff bill, and I hasten to name the judge. I appeal to the na- tional Republican platform of 1908; and tested by the criterion of that in strument, the Republican voters of the United States will determine just as rapidly as they have the opportun. ity todo so. whether our votes were in accordance with it's declarations and pledges
 T am astounded to hear so modest man as tho speaker of the house claim that the leaders who construct- cd the tarlff bill and the majority which passed 1t, constitute the Re