The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-12-27
THE SPEAKERSHIP.

Chicago papers, purportlng to bear the stamp
of inside information, feature plan of the east
ern and New England congressman to elect Nj.
f.. Olmstead, of Harrisburg, Pa, speaker
of the house to succeed Cannon There is much
changing of front in political maneuvers, as
companies are formed into battallions, and bat
tallions into regiments, regiments into brigades,
brgades into divisions, divisions into corps and
corps into armies. These newspaper men may
be watching the brigade formation of the ma
jority of the lower house. They may be real
students of political chemistry observing mas
cent third party.
There are dangerous elements in every big
majority in a legislative body, composed of
ambitious men. democratic majority in the
Kentucky general assembly take warning.)
The nsurgent Republicans of the house, feeling
assured of the sentiment of their home people,
have rebeed against party discipline and put
themselves squarely on record against the
organization of congress. They compose VIC
lent handful, of scarcely sufficient numerical
strength to WELD much influence in caucus,
and yet too strong individually and too openly
defiant to ever unite with that element known
as reactionary Indeed they have educated
their own constituents to the vicousness of that
element and apparent surrender to it would
ruin them at home. Consequently, the sugges-
ton of a reactionary for speaker would spell
possibly the Republican majority
If the Democrats should join with the insur-
gents in opposing Cannonism in the house,
Henry Watterson's prophesy of third party
uniting tire west and south against the east
might easily be foreseen by eyes of shorter
vision.
We trust and believe President Taft realizes
the strength of the sentiment in the middle
west; for the great plains country, extending
from the Alleghanies and the south Atlantic Sc
board to the Rocky rCmtains comprises the
United States in all that is best in men, meas
ures and morals.
The methods of President Taft, as contrasted
with the methods of President Roosevelt, also,
are on trial: for though politics is politics in a
small way, national elections reflect the honest
sentiment OF the people for the time. Each
section to be sure, has its own ends to subserve.
The Atlantic seaboard has its European trade,
and New England its manufacturing industries; ;
the middle states want their water highways
improved; the southwest wants irrigation: the
mountains are interested in water power, coal
and timber regulations; the Pacific coast in the
navy and merchant marine, and all sections in
control of corporations and railroads
The warning elements of congress, by reason
of their common danger may be forced to unite
on these measures for the benefit of all the peo-
pie; and the popularity of the program may
keep that party in power, which has been able
to meet all popular demands in it.
The split may be just what is necessary to
enable President Taft to carry out those poll
cies, which President Roosevelt inaugurated.
That Roosevelt could be able to so split his own
majority in the congress and set faction against
faction in differences arising from fundamental
policies of government, and yet insure the cleo
ton of his lsuccessor by a remarkable majority
Together with an overwhelming majority to-