The Washington times., 1910-12-09
Must Fight for Progressive
Bills Urged, Although
Against President.
MESSAGE HELD TO BE
VERY GOOD POLITICS
Regulars Hope to Renominate Taft
If Roosevelt Does Not
Spoil Plans.
By JUDsoN C. wELLIvEP


s1dered or proposed during the short
session Of Congress viii be construed
by public men, coldly and cynica iIv-
with reference 10 its relation to the
Presidential campaign Of 1872
From the hour when Presidents Taft5s
message was laid before CCnEress- the
political vapors have been preeipitatinz-
Already several significant things are
apparent
The regular Republicans are for Presf-
dent Tafrs denomination IN 1872 but
they are against his present legislative
program
The insurgent Republicans are against
President Taft's denomination IN 1872
Out they are for HIS legislative program
PTOgTessiyes IN a Hole.
And there you are The insurgents. Of
prOgressives. OF whatever you choose 10
/ call them, have been put into.a hole
/ by the President he has not approved
anything Ike all OF their legislative
l program, but be has taken enough. Of f.
70 keep Congress busy saving wood all
winter. He viii have the prOgressives
/ fighting for Taft measures DESPITE
that they don't want Taft. and don't
want 70 strengthen him with the coun-
| ny or the party
Not that the Taft measures viii h.
crystal lied into law. That IS not the
intention Of the regulars, who VIII SIN
hold control throughout this session
Neither Is Il the purpose OF the Demo
Gratis, VINO viii get a firm hold on the
House just when the failing power OF
Republican regularity IOOses its grip IN
both houses The standpatters are go
ing 10 hold the breach til March I. and
after that par san divisions between a
Democratic house and q Republican
complishment
MESSAGE Good PoIi+irs
There IS no longer doubt about it,
President Taft has played mighty gOod
politics. for once There are people who
don't think he ever played good politics
IN his life, and ne certainly has played
one mans fun share OF very bad poll
tics But he didn't do IL when - wrote
that message TO Congress
In case Of doubt get an average In
surgent member OF the House 70 tell
! you his honest opinion Of the situation
One OF them said today
IF CUmmins and Borah and these
other fellows keep on tranPing I'D 10
I confer with the President, the country
viii think he's taken Us all into camp
Some people viii think he has got pro-
gressive; others VIII think We have
surrendered our progressivisnu; and
don't Ike u, either way
And this from another insurgents
The President, OF course, isn't any
more progressive than lie ever vas
/ but ne has put Just enough progressiv-
gresstves seem 10 be supporting him,
/ and then he has induced the progress
| sive Senators 10 confer with him about
/ appointments, and altogether things
/ are getting mighty mixed up
Times Has Changed Things.
Before election to be an insuEs1t
meant TO be against Taft Maybe you
didn't say Il, but you were. Now. 20
I be an insurge1t is 70 be for a good
share OF Taft's program Last two ses-
siOns. the President was hand-iD-gIove
/ with the standpatters- Now he has ex-
] ecuIed another Of those complete Hops
/ Do you recOlIect how after he was
elected, IN the closing weeks OF 1875, he
/ started 10 fight Cannon and how he
/ lined Up al the insurgency he could
/ hnds against the Speaker And how
/ then, when lot OF people had com
mitted themselves TO insurgency on that
| proposition. he Topped completely and
became the foremost supporter OF Can
wen. he has done another sons--
sauit Just as effective. but much more
stfg tbs tai cdm9s tb he D Is PsoS{ t9
seem to support him. and yet he Is SO
mild and innocent about II that no reg
/ ulaT is worried; nobody seriously sUS-
poets that he is going TO get his pro
gram through II takes fighting 10 %
that, and he viii not make the fight"
Everybody Talking
II names could be used, OF men who
talk II such terms and tones as these.
there would be plenty Of sensation IN
the political gossip. Men don't say such
things for publication OF course But
everybody Is talking Of these things,
and regulars. insurgents and Democrats
ell discuss, from their various points OF
view, the political effects OF the strange
reshapinz Of lines which has taken place
since the opening OF the session
Democrats calcl1ate that II Mr- Bryan
doesn't interfere. they viii nominate
Harmon or Wilson for President ReSu-
lar Republicans calculate that Il M
Roosevelt doesn't get into The fght- n
some new way they VIII nominate IaIt-
Insurgents admit that the DOliucS OF the
situation is now favorable 20 IaIt- o9S
they hope that IN another year the Adj
ministratiOn's weakness viii have been
still further acCentuated. to such extent
that fl may be possible 70 break the
South and New England, and perhaps
take New York away from the Presi-
deut, and nominate q progressive
Two Progressives in Field.
II that contingency develops, then,
from present indications. there VIII be
| two progTessives In the field They al
ready are frankly recognized as Presi-
/ Dental candidates, and they seem likely
/ 70 nave nearly equal strt Myth They are
La Toilette II Wisconsin
Petween these and other possible a.
I Dir. lLS. EiJtSeNelLS nomination IN q
| convention that had a determined ma
iority Of anti-Taft delegates, is looked
upc.I as no HnpOssibiiity- Some OF the
pros ressives in both houses prefer
| Roosevelt 70 any other man A year
| ago most Of them would have said
| Roosevelt was the only man. Today a
poll Of actual, deep-lying, personal, and
Z political choices would probably show
I that Roosevelt, La Toilette. and Cum
MINIS had about equal strength among
the progressive leadership Of the ReDub-
iican party
The question Is. How does the matter
stand with the country That is what
all the politicians want TO know. and
under the surface Of things IN Wash
insston a vast amount OF effort Is being
given to finding out what alliances,
forces and influences VIII be working
in various directions and for various
purposes.
One Of the commOnest observations
made nowadays is that II Senator Dol
liver Of Iowa had lived. he would have
been the strong man on whom all could
and would have united He is gone,
and the position Of peculiar vantage
that he held Is occupied by no other
man. -