Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-09-21
OPEN G. 0. P. SPLIT
LIKELY AS RESULT
OF TARIFF SPEECH
Bitter Fight for Control of Con-
gressional Elections Is Predict
ed AS Result of President
Taft's Winona Utterances.

MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, Sept. 1S.-An
open split in the Republican party and
bitter fight for control at the COMPRESSION
al elections next November between the
progressives and the old line members or
the party. is the outcome predicted as
result of President Taft's tariff speech at
Winona last night.
This is the view taken by the Republic
can press of Minneapolis and st. Paul.
and politicians generally agree with II.
II is a curious fact that no one seems
particularly surprised "vs= the president
utterances, and IL Is equally curious that
there is little bitterness or animosity
displayed toward him. His reception in
the Twin Cities today was by no means
enthusiastic but that is attributed more
to the fact that Governor Johnson lies at
the point of death than that the president
has adopted stand on the tariff question
that is Numerically opposed to the views
of the majority of the people.
CROWDS ARE CONTAINED.
Wherever the president went today
there were crowds, but his welcome was
limited to hand clapping and the waving
of handkerchiefs and flags, with spas
modic cheers.
Practically the only demonstration that
was accorded him was at the auditorium
In ST. Paul, where 5000 people cheered
him for several minutes, but then the
president delivered an eloquent tribute to
the stricken governor.
The general opinion with regard to the
Winona speech is that Mr.. Taft went too
far. 1t was expected that he would rally
to the assistance of his friend Tawney,
who is hard beset by his enemies among
the low tariff representatives.
That was expected Of a stalwart manly
friend. and it was also expected that the
president, having signed the Payne bill,
would not stultify himself by attempting
to crawl out of the position In which he
had placed himself by his own act.
EXCOMMUNICATED A MAJORITY.
But when, by inference. and broadly at
that, the president in his remarks about
party solidarity. read out Of the party all
the Republicans who opposed the bill. the
simple truth is that he accommodated a
majority Of the Republicans of the middle
west.
They are good Republicans out here but
the majority of them can't and wont fol-
low the president when he says that party
solidarity should be put above the rates
in any schedule of the tariff bill. They
can't and won't agree that the Payne
bill Is the best tariff law that has ever
been passed. And they refuse to accept
the presidents statement that the tariff
question is settled even for the time be-
ing They have no fight against him,
either as man or aa president.
Senator Clapp, one of the most persist
ent and determined of the progressives,
presided at the meeting this afternoon
at the st. Paul auditorium, and the rela-
lions between him and the president were
apparently as cordial as ever.
PRESIDENT. OPENS FIGHT.
But in as much as the president has
lined up with the old line Republicans
against the progressfTes, the latter be-
lieving that in the long run the life of the
Republican party rests with their cause,
are determined to accept his challenge,
and the Republican voters of the state
will be asked at the next primary to de-
eide.
The opening gun in the fight was prac-
ticalIy fred by the president himself last
night. for as Representative Tawney was
the only member of the Minnesota dele
CATION In either branch of congress to
vote for the Payne-Aldrich bill, the fight
will necessarily wage around him.
Tawney has a tremendous personal pop
ularity, and with the president behind
him, will be a hard man to beat, but In
the crowd that filed out of the Winona
Opera house last night after the prcsi-
dent had given his address, there were
open predictions that Mr.. Tawney will
not be able to carry his own precinct in
the fight for denomination.
The president was never more serious IN
his life. He prepared his address COM
pletely and read 1t deliberately, amid
practical silence Most of his audience
had already read the tribute to Senator
Aldrich, which was contained in the Bos-
ton speech, so that no doubt was possible
as to Just where the president stood.
Representative Tawney was in st. Paul
today, all smiles He declared that the
opposition to him amounts to nothing,
and that he will have no trouble in secur-
ing a denomination.
MAY REPEAT SPEECH.
The understanding is that the president
will repeat certain portions of the WI
mona speech as he moves westward. But
there are more set speeches in his port
folio, and perhaps further sensations for
the country before he returns to WASH
ington.
Governor Johnsons desperate condition
cast q tinge Of gloom over
the presidents reception today. At one
time his death was momentarily expected
and the reception committee was prepar-
ed at the presidents request to abandon