The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-01-07
HITCHCOCK FR0vvNS UPON THE
INSURGENTS; ''H0LD BACK PIE
How Representative Miller of
the Duluth District Blew
off the Lid.
Recommendations For Post Jobs
Held Up; Activities Resent
ed, BY P. NJ G.

Washington, JAN 5.-War without
quarter will be waged between the
Taft administration. and such Repub-
lican insurgents" in congress as are
now opposing, and who oppose in the
future, the Taft legislative programme.
The battle is not with the tariff insur-
gents who quietly sheathed their
blades after defeat, but with those
who nursed disappointment and are
whetting their knives publicly in an
ticipation of continued conflict.
The battle broke suddenly. At first
it was a single shot; then scattered
firing; swiftly the thing spread, until
it has taken on the aspects OF gen.
eral engagement, the consequences OIL
which cannot be foretold. The sub
stance of it is that the senators and
congressman who have taken stand
against the present administration and
who continue to align themselves with
the opposition to the presidents poll
cies are to receive no consideration in
matters of patronage.
Utterances such as that made by
Senator CumminS at a recent dinner
in Des Moines, by Senator Bristow in
previous speeches, anti-Taft articles in
Senator La Follette's magazine, and a
recent interview by Senator Clapp on
the price of foodstuffs are said to have
stirred the president to action.
Taft Heeds Their Advice.
1t had been reported further that
some of the Republican insurgents in
pointment under the administration of
men more or less openly out of har-
mony with the Taft regime. Mr.. Taft's
closest friends advised him that it
would be impolitic for him to afford
sinews of war to those, who, they
warned him, might even cooperate
with the Democrats in congress
against the Taft legislative pro-
gramme and in the country at large
by creating anti-Taft sentiment in ad-
vance of the 1912 convention.
1t is stated without reserve that the
president has listened to such advice
and has decided to follow it.
In support of the position taken by
certain leaders of the administration
that the battle is not with the tariff
insurgents, Senators Nelson, Brown,
Burkett and Borah, all of whom voted
against the Payne-Aldrich tariff bill
appear to be persona grata at the
White House, postoffice department
land office and internal revenue Du-
reau where federal pie" is served.
No politician who would discuss the
! situation at all dared hazard an opin.
ion as to the political outcome of the
contest Some insisted that it would
arouse bitter opposition to President
Taft, while others declared that the
effect would be to make all Repub
licans line up for or against the presi.
dent and smoke out" those who have
carefully kept neutral position.
/ Representative Miller of the Eighth
Minnesota district was the man chief
ly instrumental in blowing the lid
off, of the situation He did it by a
statement to the effect that Postmas
ter General Hitchcock had Informed
him that his (Miller's} recommends
tons for presidential misunderstanding
were being held up because of his in
/ surgent activities in the house.