The San Francisco call., 1909-10-27
AK SHARPENFD
FOR REPUBLICAN
CHIEFS IN EAST
Middle West Declared to Seek
Scalps of Senator AIdrich
and Speaker Cannon
Resentment Expressed in Gen.
trail States Against Policy.
of "Standpatters"
By JOHN CALLAN o'LAUGHLIN
[Speciol Dispaich 10 The Call

L~fSSet DtSpQtCn 10 ne Adu
CHICAGO. Oct 2s.-I have just
returned to Chicago. having vis-
ated central and southern Illinois
missouri, Kansas. Nebraska, Iowa,
minnesota, Wisconsin and Indiana. I
have discussed politics with United
States senators. congressman. federal
ofhcials, state officers. members of state
legislatures. editors OF newspapers, po-
liticsl bosses and politicians and plain
citizens.
The significant fact which my in
Testigstion has developed is the re-
sentiment everywhere expressed in the
communities / visited to the govern
mental control exercised by such con-
servative standpatters as Senator Aid
rich OF Rhode Island and Speaker Can
non Of Illinois.
As a corollary and of far greater inn
portance is the further fact that the
republican party is arraYed into two
hostile camps, both defiant both deter
mined to rule or ruin. On the one hand
are the stalwarts. the men who have
supported or who believe in what so
frequently has been described as re-
dictionary policies. standing unitedly
behind Senator Aldrich and Cannon.
On the other hand. and unquestionably
IN the majority, are the so called in
surgents, impatient OF restraint, deter
mined that the forward movement OF
the nation, begun under President
Roosevelt, shall not be arrested.
THIRD PARTY POSSIBLE
The only conclusion possible TO arrive
at is that the republican party must
be TO use term of the insurgents.
s'regenersted. or a third party will be
the outcome.
This situation is so serious as TO de-
serve the most careful study and con-
sideration OF the leaders OF the repub-
licsn party. The democratic party. ow-
ing TO the participation OF many Of its
representatives in the scrambe for
high tariff duties can not take a6van-
tage OF the present plight of its his
toric enemy. Moreover. in the demo-
cratic party. as in the republican party.
there is a proportion of independent
voters so large as to swing an election
IN any direction it considers advisa bic.
1t may be suggested that for some
years now the independent vote has
been OF such size as to demand con-
sideration from party leaders. But
never in the middle west has il at
tained the figure which il is today
say this with full realization Of the
fact that there is an undertone OF con-
servatism in the states comprised with
in this section.
TARIFF REVISION UNPOPULAR
yVllat,is 1he ca use Of thie condition?
1 discovered that the character Of tariff
rev sien given the party ar the extra
session which closed in August had
something to do with it. But after all
this was merely symptomatic The
prime objection is based upon the gem
eral unWiliingness longer TO permit the
government TO be directed by such men
IS Senator Aldrich and Speaker Can
non: longer TO permit the popular will
for advanced legislation TO be thwarted
by the attitude OF these representa-
tives.
For Senator Aldrich there exists ad-
miration for his personal honesty and
integrity, for his high ability and de-
cisive character. But the middle west
believes that Aldrich has been reared
IN an environment totally different from
that in which il lives. II charges that
his association with capital has warped
his views as to the needs of the people
outside Of the east. 1t does not con-
sjder that his direction Of the United
States senate is in its interest. It looks
upon Speaker Cannon as tarred with
the same brush. but there seems 20 be
greater objection TO him personally as
well as officially. The insurgents have
been busy with orstorical paint brushes
and they have presented the speaker in
an unlovely way.
TX is not much 10 say that the over
shadowing issue or the congressional
campaign next year viii be AIdrichism
and Csnnonism. So far as Senator Aid
rich IS concerned. his position in his
state IS upsssailable. A different sit
uation exists with respect to Spea ker
Cannon.