Bridgeton pioneer., 1909-02-11
TIA FITS CABINET

TAFTS CABINET
Washington. Feb. o. Especial =
Representative Mann of Chicago
thought he would steal a march on
Chairman Payne of the ways and
means committee of the house. The
former had reported from the inter
state and foreign commerce commit
tee, of which he is leading member
q bill prohibiting the importation and
use of opium for other than medicinal
purposes. Now, Mr.. Payne got jealous
and mad both when he discovered that
the Chicago member had tried to usulp
the rights of his committee. He called
his committee to order right off when
he found that the Mann bill was placed
on the calendar and that scheme had
been fixed up to have itrushed through
the house during the morning hour.
The New Yorker was soon ready with
his own measure, and he and Mann
locked horns. Although the latter is
regarded as being very solid with
Speaker Cannon and by many is called
his photograph on the floor, because it
is charged that Uncle Joe talks into
Mann and has him repeat his wishes
in the house. Payne circumvented him
and gave him an object lesson that
will not soon be forgotten.
Gossip About Taft's Cabinet.
Guessing as to the cabinet that will
be announced by President Taft about
the 9Th of March is getting livelier as
Inauguration day approaches. About
the only ones most people seem to be
certain of at this writing are Senator
Knox of Pennsylvania for secretary of
state and Frank Hitchcock for post
master general. There is a good deal
of uneasiness among the friends of
some of the anxious ones over a state
ment going the rounds, whether it is
true or not, that Mr.. Knox has advised
Judge Taft to select entirely new men
for his advisers. In other words, if
the talk heard here at present is any
Indication Mr.. Knox would not have
his chief retain any of the members
of the Roosevelt cabinet. He was
himself attorney general in the Roose
welt cabinet before his election to the
senate He certainly has nothing
against his former associates, but
somehow it is stated that Mr.. Knox
thinks a new deal would be better for
President Taft and would please the
country. If this is to be the policy
then it means that Secretaries Wilson
and Wright are to retire. A great
many we'll informed men, however, be-
lieve that if Judge Taft were to follow
his own inclination he would retain
General Wright and Farmer Wilson.
Gossip has it that, inaSmuch as Gen
eral Wright has never claimed to be
anything but 4 Democrat, the Repub
leans of power and influence would
not relish it if this former Confed-
crate soldier We're to be retained as
head of the war department when ii
is certain that during the next ter
years matters of great concern are
likely to come up. Not that they have
any suspicion of General Wright's
loyalty and honesty, but they consider
that in being secretary of war for
nearly a year it shows that Roosevelt
and Taft have trusted and honored
him enough, and in view of the great
Importance of the office it ought to be
given to a true blue Republican who
has been of great service to his party.
These people think something outside
of the cabinet could easily be found
for General Wright.
Forced to Agree With Hancock.
In the memorable campaign of 1880,
when General Winfield Scott Hancock
was a candidate for president, he wrote
a letter in which he said that the tariff
was a local issue, and, although it is
believed to have contributed tc his de-
feat more than any other one thing.
there is right now such pulling and
hauling for a tariff on this thing or no
tariff on that thing that many of the
leading Republicans and Democrats in
congress say they are forced to agree
with the soldier candidate that the
tariff is local issue. The indications
are that this feature Of the discussions
when the tariff bill comes before the
house in the spring will bring forth
some tart talk.
Taking Life Easy.
Ex-senator William E. Chandler re-
Gently passed the seventy-third mile
stone Of life. He looks to be hardly
past sixty. He has been unusually ac-
tive all his life and has been in some
Of the hottest political battles man
ever took part in Mr.. Chandler saws
that he was pretty nearly worn out
during his last senatorial term, and
he firmly believes that had he been re-
elected he would not be living today.
Now he is taking life rather easy.
having matters of Importance to inter
est him, but not doing work enough
to impair his health or draw too strong
" upon his vitality. He spends about
half the year in Washington and the
rest of the time in New HAMPSHIRE II
was during his service as secretary Of