Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-20
RA|NEY THROWN OUT
Caucus Rejects Him as Inquiry
Committee Member.
DONE AT TAFT'S BEHEST
Presidents Wish Prevails at Lively
Meeting Of House Republicans.
LLOYD PUT IN HIS PLACE
House Regular" Deplores Lost
Chance to "Have Fun With Insur-
gents" Because of Interference.
LLOYD PUT IN HIS PLACE

If President Taft had kept ont of this
mix up we, the regular republicans Of
the House of Representatives, would
have taught the insurgents a lesson that
they never would have forgotten. We
selecting the House membership of the
Ballinger- Pinchot committee of inquiry.
We would have demonstrated the beau
ties of this proposition of selecting COM
mittees by vote of the House until the
| insurgents would have wished they had
never been born. We would have thrown
/ the spotlight on their worth as repub
! licans and party men. I am really sorry
[ that President Taft put down his foot
and absolutely refused to have Rainey
| of Illinois as member of the committee
| Otherwise we regulars of the House
might have had some fun. This is the
| Presidents row. not ours.
/ This is the way prominent republican
member of the House of Representatives,
who is high in the councils Of his party,
expressed the situation at the adjourn
ment last evening of the republican
caucus called to decide upon the member
ship, at the House end. of the Ballinger-
Pinchot committee. At 1t was. the caucus.
after being in session from s o'clock
until quarter of II, selected Representa-
| tiveS Mccall of Massachusetts, Olmsted
of Pennsylvania, DENLY of Michigan and
| Madison of Wisconsin. republicans and
Lloyd of Missouri and James Of Ken
lucky, democrats.
Presidents Good Memory.
James was one of the men selected by
the democratic causus of last Saturday
evening to represent the minority on the
| Investigating committee. Representative
Rainey of Illinois was the other. Mr..
Rainey. as will be remembered. made
serious charges against President Taft
and his brother Charles P. Taft, in con-
nection with the purchase of the Panama
Canal strip. This was at the last regular
session of Congress. Mr.. Taft's memory
is excellent, however, and as soon as he
learned that the democrats had selected
Rainey one of the two minority men,
bers OF the Ballinger- Pnchot committee
he put his foot down hard, and called
| regular and insurgent leaders to the
White House and made it plain that the
Illinois member must not be permitted
to serve. About James, although that
| member has the reputation with the re-
pubicans. at any rate. of being q bitter
partisan, the President did not care SO
much. But he wanted Rainey thrown of
the map.
AS has been previously outlined. the
insurgents split wide open over this pro-
posal to. turn down the recommendation
of the democratic caucus, that Rainey
and James be placed upon the committee,
and many of the regulars, although they
| frankly said they would stand by their
guns and help out the White House,
| thought that this proposition was a viola
ton of the spirit. if not the letter, of the
Presidents own suggested harmony
agreement by which the split in his own
party was to be healed and everything
made reaonably peaceful and harmo-
NOUS.