Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-05
NERvED FOR HOT CONTEST
Aroused by Plain Talk at Yester-
days Conference.
AWAITING TAFT'S RETURN
Will Try to Frame a Line of Action
Against the Coalition of Insur-
gents and Democrats.

With their backs to the wall and facing
truculent and defiant coalition OF IN
surgent republicans and democrats
threatening party legislation, the repub-
lican leaders OF the Senate are today con-
fronting the most serious legislative
crisis presented in many years.
Today the leaders are "sparring for
wind" to use a phrase borrowed from
that branch OF sports which will soon be
popular at San Francisco.
They have been badly worsted in the
first round In plain language they are
awaiting the return Of President TAFT
and utilizing the interim In efforts to
reform their shattered party lines and
to get together
1t was claimed today by the leaders
that they have the pledges of forty-tive
republican senators to stand together on
a policy to be agreed upon and that there
are eight more votes in the balance
which they expect to induce to join the
republican administration coalition.
There will be no further tests Of
strength in the Senate before next Mon
day. and by that time ii is hoped tc stiff
fen up the party lines and restore disci-
pline The weak sisters will be ex-
horted to brace up and there will be Q
general infusion of ginger If possible.
Aldrich Points Out Peril.
All of this grows out of a conference
held late yesterday OF republicans sum
moned by Senator -Aldrich. at which the
situation was gone over and some pretty
plain talk used The meeting demonstrat-
ed one thing which was gratifying to the
old line republicans. and that was that
Senator Aldrich. although he is to retire
from the Senate, has not gone to lIis
corner yet and is still in the ring.
Senator Aldrich in his talk with his
colleagues dwelt upon the increasing
peril of the situation growing out of lack
of unity among republicans and the
litical advantage from the dissension i'm
the ranks of their opponents. who al
| though supposedly numerically in the
majority were not demonstrating IL In the
votes on the pending bill.
The fact that there were differences OF
opinion on the details of the bin among
the ...regulars'' themselves. which was
called to Senator Aldriclls attention and
which he could not deny. only empha-
sized he insisted. the necessity for con-
ference and for q policy Of give and take
which would at least minimize the oppor-
tunity for the democrats to take advan.
tage of the rift in the republican lutte.
The outcome of the conference was an
awakening of republican spirit and realis-
alton of the necessity for remedial action
in, state OF affairs which all admitted
to be a great menace TO the party.
Seeking Line of Action.
Nobody is quite ready to particularixe
how things are to be mended but, having
faith In the traditional ability of repub
licans to reconcile their differences in the
face OF a common danger, the republican
senator's will do their best between now
and Monday to frame up line OF action
upon which they can present a solid
front in contrast with the disorganiza-
ton they have shown this week.
The radical insurgents for their part
will pursue the even tenor of their ways,
which is to amend that railroad bill To
suit their own ideas if they can. And
they don't care how il is done, either.
whether with democratic votes or any
other kind.
The threat of a possible presidential
veto does not worry them a little bit
They say they did not ask for this bill.
having drawn one Of their own, and that
if the President does not like the work
Of Congress on his administr alton bill he
can exercise his constitutional right OF
veto and welcome, for their part.
The democrats are in high glee. This
situation is nuts for them. The spectacle
Of the old line leaders with their backs
to the wall is one to delight the demo-
cratic heart. Divested of responsibility,
they declare that all they have TO do Is
to enjoy the gifts that the gods pro-
vide.