Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-01-07
UNSPARING IN
DENOUNCING POLICY PUNISH
ING THEM
ARE NOT AGAINST PRESIDENT.
Madison of Kansas Declares He and AS
sociates viii Support Measures
Urged by Taft.
TO FIGHT ALDRICH AND CANNON.


With amazement, in some cases border
ing on anger, the insurgent Republican
members of the House today read the
published reports that they are to be
singled out by The administration for
punishment for their "rebellious CON
duct" as members of the majority party
of the House.
Several of the insurgents were unspar-
ing in their denuncation of policy
which sought to punish man for free
dom and independence OF thought and
action, as they expressed it. Not few
were loath to believe that President
Taft would lend his aid to an effort
to administer castigation to them for
supporting the very principles and poll
cies for which they claimed the party
itself stood pledged.
Madison Makes Statement.
Representative Madison of Kansas eX-
pressed Il view of the matter to which
several of his associates subscribed. He
said:
I'VE insurgents, as we are called are
not against Taft or his policies. We are
unanimously, l believe. in favor of every
leading reform to which the President
and the Republican party is committed.
For instance, | am in favor of postal
savings, conservation of natural re-
sources, regulation of injunction, reform
of federal court of procedure, government
regulation and control of industrial and
carrying corporations, the publication of
campaign funds, and other reforms. Most
of the other insurgents are for these
same things.
1T is slanderous to say that we can
be swerved from the course of support
ing these reforms by the withholding of
any official patronage by any body, or
be induced to support this or that propo-
sition by the offering of official sop of
any kind. We are committed to the
principles which | have enumerated be
cause we believe they are right, and not
because the President or anybody else
Is for or against them
Regulars Oppose Taft
at is not the insurgents of the House.
but men like Aldrich and Cannon whom
the President Will have to induce to sup
port his policies.
THE insurgenst are for them already
have been all the time"
Representative Norris Of Nebraska
added his approval of the above declara-
ton, as did Representative Hayes of
California Mr.. Hayes said that his fight
was solely against the rules of the House
and its present organization. Upon the
latter proposition, Mr.. Hayes said that
he was ready to go the full limit, and
fight to the finish. 1t was the independ-
ence of the representative in Congress,
which he was contending for, he said.
Ask for Tafts Stand
The insurgents are discussing the de-
Il 4
and ascertaining from President Taft
where they stand. The calling of the
meeting is in the hands of Representa-
tive Hayes of California. There was
no apparent sign of the insurgent diff
Guilty on the Senate side of the capitol
further than the numerous conferences
which inSurgent Republicans from the
House side were holding with the SEN
ators from the insurgent representatives
states regarding the best policy to pur-
sue.
Senator Cummins said that he had
experienced no difficulty with the post
office department or any other govern
ment department in regard to his patron
age. His recommendations had been
asked for in Iowa appointments, and had
been acted upon wherever he furnished
them.
Representative Hayes stated later in
the day that no meeting would be called
by him before next Wednesday.
Il think the boys had better have a
chance to cool off" he said. Some of
them are pretty warm, you know
Mr.. Hayes says that when he read the
published accounts of what purported to
be the administration attitude toward
the insurgents of the House, he did not
believe it. He considered the PROPOSE
ton so suicidal from the standpoint of
the administration that it was incredible
Hayes Denies Interview.
Mr.. Hayes too occasion to deny tho
statements published in which he was
quoted as saying that he could see Pres
ident Tafts finish if he persisted in
UNFOLDING Cannon" He used no such
language, he said.
From a source close to the admins
tration. the declaration came that no
hard and fast determination yet has
been reached by the President not to
recognize the insurgents in matters of
patronage. The subject is under consid-
Grafton. but it was said that a tentative
determination has been reached.
Self-protection is the key to the adj
ministration's attitude towards the in
surgents.
Aside from mere personal politics. the
administration has conceived some Iegis-
lative policies which it desires to see
carried into effect. 1t is realized by the
PRESIDENT and his advisers that ODDoSi-
ton may be expected to those policies by
some members of his own party in Con
gress. 1t is to protect the policies
against what might be considered as ian
attack from the rear" that the patron
age of at least some parts of the country
is to be subjected to very close scrutiny.
Is Not Punishment.
1t is insisted upon that this attitude
of the administration was not suggested
as means of punishment of anybody
for past opposition. Postmaster General
Hitchcock, who is generally regarded as
the closest political adviser of the Presi-
dent, declined today to make any state
ment for publication regarding the situa-
ton He did not deny that he had
conversation with Representative Miller
of Minnesota, one of the insurgents in
the course of which Mr.. Hitchcock init
mated what the administrations position
was likely to be. As to the details of
that conversation, Mr.. Hitchcock was
silent. He was quite sure that what
ever determination might be reached by
the President respecting federal patron
age would affect not merely the post
office department, but all branches of the
government.