Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-12-31
SIGNIFICANT STRAW VOTE.

! is IN sympathy with the S0-called 'lnSur
ksent" movement directed against Speake
cannon and Senate Leader Aldrich, ap
pears in the January number of Success
which has just been issued.
Particular interest attaches to the vote
which was taken among the subscribers Of
the magazine, because of the fact that a
similar poll taken last fall enabled it tC
predict, nearly month before election
practically the exact electoral vote re-
ceived by each of the presidential candi-
dates.
Of the more than $4,000 persons polled
representative citizens scattered over the
country, 1902 replied. OF these. $500
classed themselves as Republicans; 1928
as Democrats, and 1929 as independents
Prohibitionists or members of other par
ties Practically every State in the Union
was represented in the list of replies.
Early in November the magazine mailed
to its subscribers letter and ballot con-
public pulse on the matter of President
Taft's popularity, the popular opinion of
the new tariff bill, the political standing
of Aldrich and Cannon and the strength
of the support of the "insureent" move
ment.
The letter called attention to the fact
that the President on his recent tour of
the country had explained his position,
both as to past and pending Legislation,
and that prominent Representatives and
Senators had explained the new tariff
legislation.
In view of these explanations and the
light thrown on the question: the balloters
were asked to indicate their opinions.
The tabulated questions and answers tell
their own story:
Question No. do you believe that
your vote for presidential candidate last
November was wisely cast?"
of the Republicans answering, 5,728
voted in the affirmative, while $40 voted
in the negative; 1928 Democrats voted
'yes" and 206 voted mo"
Question No. 2.-"Are you satisfied with
the first nine months of the administration
of President Taft?"
OF the Republicans, 1902 voted "yes, -
2,490 voted no. and 2,778 declined to
vote at all; 500 Democrats answered yes
and 2,053 replied no"
Question No. 3.-"Do you approve of the
position of Senator Aldrich in the recent
tariff legislation?"
Republicans voting in the affirmative
numbered SIT, while those voting in the
negative numbered 6,313. But forty Dem
ocrats Endorsed Aldrich while 2,447 voted
in the negative.
Question No. 4.-"Do you approve the
position of Speaker Cannon on the recent
tariff legislation?
Just little more emphatic is the con-
demnation of Mr.. Cannon, only 400 Re-
publican and 40 Democratic votes in the
entire country being cast in the affirma-
tive, while 6,485 Republicans and 2,447
Democrats are recorded in the negative.
1t is significant that the condemnation
Mr.. Cannon in the tariff legislation is al
most as pronounced in the Atlantic and
Pacific coast States as in the Central West
and there is every evidence, not only in
the votes on those two questions, but in
the general vote by districts, that both
''Cannonism' and "Aldrichism" are ma
tional and general issues and do not rep
resent merely local insurgency.
Question No. 5.-"Do you approve the
position of President Taft in the recent
tariff legislation
Here the vote is much more evenly di-
vided, 2,102 Republicans voting Ives" and
$3.50 voting mo" Studying the COM
ment that accompanies the ballots in
many cases, it is apparent that the feel
ing is that the President has not shown
sufficient backbone in resisting the stand
pat policy of the Republican leaders Of
the Democrats voting. 244 approve and
1851 disapprove the Presidents policy.
Question No. els it your desire that
President Taft should support and CO.
operate with Senator Aldrich and Speaker
Cannon in the general public policies which
they representa-"
From all sections of the country comes a
laundering mo" in answer to this ques-
ton, only $50 Republican votes being cast
in the affirmative as against 6,293 in the
negative.
In answer to Question No. DO you
desire that he should oppose them?"-
came an equally emphatic and general
YES" 6,2l9 votes being in the affirmative
against 46i votes in the negative.
In addition to the general questions set
forth above, three others were asked of
each subscriber as follows:
DO you approve the position of your
Representative in Congress in the speaker
ship contest last spring?
Would you vote for him if there should
be another election this month provided
that he were opposed by a reputable man
of the opposite partyS
is it your desire that he support the
administration and policies of Speaker
Cannon, or would you prefer that he OPP
pose them?"
The ballots were finally separated &C.
cording to congressional districts. with the
purpose of learning the home feeling in
answer to these three questions on the
record in Congress of each Representative.
Concerning the results on these three ques-
tons the editor says:
THE Republican insurgents against Can
nonism are being, to a man. enthusiastic
ally supported by their neighbors, except
in the few cases where their original in
surgency has been modified by later indie