Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-03-21

Every important administration
measure is halted just where it stood
last Wednesday when the preliminary
skirmish Of the long drawn battle was
begun. Necessarily all work was
thrown ruthlessly aside when the
great conflict on the floor Of the House
began
Republican, high in the councils
of the party and of eminent political
judgment gave it as his opinion today
that the worst was now over in Re-
publican strife and that permanent
peace would shortly ensue.
"The party in the House is more unit
ed now than for long time" he said.
There will be no disposition to abuse
the irsurgent members. but on the con-
trary an effort to conciliate them. I
make a guess that the congressional
committee will from this time forward
lend its aid to the election of those
men who yesterday stood by the par
ty, and every effort will be made to
secure their return to Congress-.
"What about the issue of Cannon
and Cannonisn::" was asked.
THAT is going to be taken care of,
reply. III is d good prediction to make
that Speaker Cannon will announce
long before the campaign for the cleo
ton of Il new Congress begins, that he
Will not again be candidate for
Speaker. Where, then, will be the is
sue you speak of? 1t will not exist
1t is upon this basis that the warning
clements of the Republican party can
be most easily brought together. and
that IS what is going to happen
The Republican believed that the effect
Of the battle of last week would be ad-
vantageous to all administration legisla-
tion now in Congress. He expressed his
opinion that both sides in the divided Re-
publican ranks would now stand solidly
for the Taft program and that the party
pledges would be fully redeemed In tho
meantime all these various conjectures
of party SeerS must await the verdict of
time. All sides are resting if only from
the sheer exhaustion of the great struggle
from which they have Just emerged. To-
morrow the bedraggled ranks will be re-
formed and move forward to Whatever
there may be to meet.
Much depends upon whether the insur-
gent Republicans who prevented the
crushing defeat of Speaker Cannon and
his being oustcd from the chair only to
be rewarded last night with denunciation
at the Speakers hands, can be placated
or whether in the course of coming events
they may be made to feel further re-
sentiment and thus be driven into further
and more relentless rebellion.
1t was even stated today by a promi-
nent member of the House that a second
assault might occur upon the Speaker.
one to remove him from the Speakership;
and 1t was pointed out that the insur-
gents who stood by the Speaker might
next time be leading the fight to down
him. A motion to declare the Speaker
ship vacant is in order at any time in
the House and this member believed that
the precedent for its use established yes
terday might be invoked at any time the
situation seemed to warrant it. There
was also talk today of a further attack
upon the rules of the House now that a
big entering wedge has been inserted, al
though it was doubted generally whether
this would be eXpedient from political
standpoint or necessary for the present
for any reason.
The appointment of all the committees
of the House by the House itself instead
of by the Speaker is spoken of as the
next best move of the reformers of the
rules, but as the taking of this action
would entirely disorganize the House if
made at this time it is not likely to be
considered before the beginning of the
next Congress.