Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-11-03
sY JOHN cALLAN oLAueHL1N.

BY JOHN CA14LAN oLAuGHLIN.
have just returned to Chicago
having visited central and southern
Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska
Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and In
diana. | have discussed politics with
United States senator's, congressman
fedora! officers, state officers. mem.
bers of state legislatures, editors OF
newspapers, political bosses and pol.
iticians, and plain citizens.
The significant fact which my in.
yestigation has developed is the re-
sentiment everywhere expressed in
the communities visited to the gov
ernment control exercised by such
conservative stand-patters as Sena,
tor Aldrich of Rhode Island and
Speaker Cannon of Illinois.
AS a corollary, and of far greater
Importance. is the further fact that
the Republican party is arrayed into
two hostile camps, both defiant, both
determined 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 describ.
ed as reactionary policies, standing
unitedly behind Senator Aldrich and
Mr.. Cannon. On the other, and un-
questionably in the majority, are the
socalled insurgents, impatient of re-
straint, determined that the forward
movement of the nation, begun un-
der President Roosevelt, shall not be
arrested
The only conclusion possible tc
arrive at is that the Republican par
ty must be, to use term of the in
surgents, "regenerated," or third
party will be the outcome.
Present Situation Serious.
This situation is so serious as to
deserve the most careful study and
consideration of the leaders of the
Republican party. The Democratic
party, owing to the participation of
many of its Representatives in the
scramble for high tariff duties, can
not take advantage of the present
plight of its historic enemy. More
over, in the Democratic party, as in
the Republican party, there is pro-
portion of Independent voters SO
large as to swing an election in any
direction it considers advisable.
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 it at
tanned the figure which it is today.
say this with full realization of the
fact that there is an undertone of
conservatism in the states comprised
within this section.
What is the cause of this condi-
ton? 1 discovered that the charac-
ter of tariff revision given the party
at 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 general unwillingness
longer to permit the government to
| be directed by such men as Senator
Aldrich and Speaker Cannon; longer
to permit the popular will for ad-
vanced legislation to be thwarted by
the attitude of these representatives
Aldrich and Cannon Distrusted.
For Senator Aldrich there exists
admiration for his personal honesty
and integrity, for his high ability
and decisive character. But the mid
die west believes that Aldrich has
been reared in an environment total
| ly different from that in which it
lives. 1t charges that his associa.
| ton with capital has warped his
views as to the needs of the people
outside of the east. 1t does not con-
consider that his direction of the
United States senate is in its inter
est. 1t looks upon Speaker Cannon
as tarred. with the same brush, but
there seems to be greater objection
to him personally as well as officially
The insurgents have been busy with
oratorical paint brushes, and they
have presented the speaker in an un-
lovely way.
1t is not much to say that the ov-
ershadowing issue of the congression.
al campaign next year will be Aldrich
ism and Cannonism. So far as SEN
ator Aldrich is concerned, his position
in his state is unassailable. A differ
ent situation exists with respect to
| Speaker Cannon.
1t is the intention of the insur-
gents in the states which / visited
to require pledge from every repub-
lican elected that he will vote against
Cannon for another term in the
speakers chair. Subsidiary to this
proposition is that the rules of the
house of representatives shall be re-
vised In behalf of the speaker it
may be said he is meeting the issue
courageously. He has gone into the
heart of the insurgent region, he has
expressed his views as to insurgency
in no uncertain words. apd he is pre-
pared to carry on the campaign with
| the intense vigor of his character. In
doing this he has taken a course pre-
cisely in accordance with the wishes
of the insurgents. They believe they
can win if the issue be Cannonism.
Issue Will Be cannonism.
And from all indications this will
be the issue. There is undoubtedly
demand for tariff revision which
shall be unquestionably downward
There is demand for additional rail-
road regulation. There is demand