The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-10-18

which Murphy was to pay the considera-
'''' Fight Over Speaker.
4,o,. two weeks before March u the
House at Washington was in a ferment
o,.e,. the Cannon and anti-Cannon fight.
Rie,+ down to Friday evening, March Il
the cannon people were supremely con
fdent. The insurgency was Just VINO,
md ssEfc NIurdock's noise" Then sud
denly they came out of the trance. The
7enublican caucus turned up the votes
for a nomination Of Cannon, but a care
f,1I canvass was perfected that night on
the question OF adopting the OLD rQIesl
and il was found beyond peradVentuT
that they could not command the needeo
votes from the Republican SIDE.
There was mighty little sleep IOr any
body on Saturday night tollo"lnS ne e
Republican caucus Inc = ~ -
was sent out from the Cannon head
quarters. All day Sunday the work was
pushed There was plenty OF 'Tadlns
stock with which to pun over DeIhO--
3 cratic votes, for whole IaIlH IulI ol
/ possible rewards or punishments was IN
sight The Ways and Means Commit
I tee had finished its work; but holdlng
that back was an easy matter II was
duly suppressed. pending developments
which should indicate whether changes
must be made as political rewards aho
what ones
McCarren had gone TO Washington and
had a talk with the Speaker. W heJheT
/ thew talked of this deal, is only matter
/ of conjecture. Certain II is, al any
rate. that the details were worked OUT
: by the lieutenants or cannon oA tHe
outside. McCarrens past master OF the
! art of feeling out situations, was one
I OF the first men to scent real danger
for Cannon and to sound warning
/ When the whole Cannon camp was
aroused bv the midnight call of that
fatefuI caucus evening. McCarreh pro-
/ posed his plan Personally. he was ut
terly pOwerless TO engineer the aeal,
for the votes must come from Murphy
and Tammany, and McCarren was the
last man on earth TO negotiate Tor theIn.
! He could turn in just two, Lindsay and
/ Fitzgerald Of Brooklyn. But he knew
4 an argument that would be potent with
/ Murphy
Tammany Looked Ahead.
/ Tammany. foresighted always, was
/ looking forward TO the municipal cam
! paign now in fun tide. The outlook was
1 bad for Tammany. The removal Of two
! borough presidents by Governor Hughes
/ Tor gross negligence in connection witt
| the expenditure Of millions, was dead
IIy auti-Tammany campaign material
/ There was danger of a real fusion move
ment Murphy was al his wits ends
/ TO save himself. To make matters worse
/ Parsons was pushing at Albany leS1sia
I q T.
| registration frauds and make it per
{ Faps impossible for Tammany to use tn
/ foaters and repeaters with whom it has
/ been accustomed to win when cOndI
/ tons were desperate.
/ These conditions were elucidated b3
/ McCarren 10 those wise Old New YOrl
/ veterans. Iittauer, Of glOve-schedult
! fame. George AIalbys for many years
/ enc of the Republican bosses in tn,
( senate at Albany. and just elected q
/ the National House, and one or two
/ others They were on hand TO help save
/ the day for Cannon. MCCarren showed
ktFem that Murphy would be willing tC
J help If he could get substantial return
in fav0rs that would improve his New
/ York city situation.
AT first, so the story goes, the Cannon
{ crowd chung to the hope that the DO ton
would fan out of insurgency, and the
! trick could be turned without Demo
cratic aid To win by reason Of Tam
many deal they knew was d desperate
move. Let nobody dream that the mel
I who now are boldly prOclalming thei
pride i'm the deal. and their satisfaction
that some Democrats had sense enough
] 10 vote for the Cannon rules. were pleas
Z cd with the idea of a Tammany tie-up
/ They knew IN that way lay ruin. But a
] last they saw imminent and unavOldaol
/ defeat Immediately ahead, and they re
! Iucr4utly consented 10 try for the trade
i Victory for Cannon. without saving tn,
/ rules. would be q hollow mOCkery. The,
must save tho rules
So McCarren's advice was taken, ac