The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-05-05
REGULARS ORGANIZE,
after INSURGENTS
AIdrich Wants to Know What Policy of
Senate Will Be, Conservative
Or Radical.
BREACH Between REGULARS
AND INSURGENTS WIDENING
Taft Favors Observation-Disclosures Dis
cusses Possibilities Of Defeat
r. BY Insurgents.

Washington, D. c., May s.
Through the formation yesterday of
an organization which its leaders
claim represents a clear majority of
the senate, and to be made up
wholly of republicans of the 1egu-
lar" wing, a movement was started
with intent to settle the question
whether the senate shall remain
conservative, become radical, or be
thrown into political chaos so far as
concerns any coherent policy in re-
gard to the administration legis-
lative program.
Senator Aldrich called the "regu.
lar" republicans together and con.
fronted them with grim description
of the possible political effect of
their apparent defeat the hands of
the insurgent'' republicans and
democrats in the fight over the traffic
agreement section of the administra-
ton railroad bill. He asked his
associates whether they were ready,
to submit to domination by such
combination. Any such surrender,
he warned them, meant the failure of
the Taft policies and the downfall of
conservative, control, not only in
congress but in the republican party
generally. ~..... .
Some one reminded Senator
Aldrich that senators then and
there gathered together we're not
in agreement on all points, where
upon he replied that they must
get together and let the details be
secondary. Otherwise he said,
congress would adjourn without a
single item of the TAFT program
accomplished. The entire tone of
this conference was belligerent to-
ward the tsinsurgents." =.
This was the dominant note:
"Let US get together and stand
as unit against every insurgent
proposition. II the insurgents
propose anything good, we'll take
it over bodily and put it through
as our own; but if they propose
any thing bad, we'll stamp it out
It was stated without reservation
that President Taft had been kept
fully advised of the situation and
was, entirely in sympathy with the
plan and virtually pledged to it. It
was said in behalf of the conferees
that while the measures which would
be resorted to were heroic they were
necessary in defense of the admins
tration and the integrity of the
republican party.
To Senator Aldrich was given
the leadership of the new movement.
Heleft yesterday for Rhode Island
and will not return before Tues
day. The plan is meanwhile to mark
time" and endeavor to hold the
fort" while there will be many con-
ferenees, at the White House and
elsewhere and the details of the
militant plan will be perfected.
The intention is to avoid test
votes on any subject of Importance
until next week.
Every hour brings additional
evidence OF the widening breach be-
tween the regulars and the insur-
gents in both houses. Conservative
republican leaders with hardly an
exception confess that in neither is
there at present coherent majority.
Even those unfamiliar as yet with
the plans Of the new senate organi-
cation seem to be awaiting the re-
turn Of President Taft to Washing
ton, to see that, if anything, he can
and will do to induce or to compel
action sufficiently harmonious to get
at least some remnants Of his pro-.
gram through congress. AS matters
stand now, the prospect from the
republican point Of view is anything
but alluring.