The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-19
NASTY SITUATION
FOR TAFT TO FACE
He Is Called Upon to Handle
Wide splitin His Own
Party.
.FIERcE. TURMOIL PREDICTED
Probable That Within e Three.
Months Roosevelt Will B &
Storm Centre.
u.

~
Washington, D. c.. March ls."The
House is now Dcmocratic,' was the
terse statement Of a Cabinet officer to.
night. For publication he would not
permit the usc OF his name: privately
he did not mind characterizing the "rn-
lsurgents'' as nothing more than DEM
Iocrats, to be treated in the future as
such
I This view OF the :sltuationin In the lows
CIR body OF Congress extends far and
wide among the Republican leaders in
Washington,S and III 1t should reach the
White House and become an adminis-
ttration policy, the consequence of the
| split in the dominant party in the coun-
itry Will be terrific.
President Taft has held aloof from
these party divisions in the House ex-
cept in so far as they may affect leg
lislation desired by the national ad-
ministration. Those most intimate
/. with him are convinced that he will
not apply the political yardstlck to- Mr..
Cannon's enemies In the House unless
itheir methods tjeopardize the passage
of legislation which lie insists the
country wants. 33 81
Difficult TO Keep Tab.
* Then, too. the decentralization in the
lower branch of the eslawmakfnE body
lpromises to have SO many ramifica-
hcult for the President to determine
Just where his duties lie and what t
he shall do. The Insurgents will cling
to him with the tcnacity Of brothers
and put all the blame elsewhere. The
Regulars will beam upon9him and put
| the blame upon the INSURGENTS.
The former will maintain that Y a
! fight over the rules and speakershipx Is
not political and that hey will faith
vocated from the White House. The
Regulars will declare that the ,InsurR-
ents have gone far beyond the pale OF
lRepublicanism and should be classi-
| fled by the real leader Of the party.
1.-THE President, as Democrats.
Problem a Iknotty5 One.
/ 1t is a pasty situation tho Chief EN-
ecutive must confront and hand le.. It
lis situation for which he is mot tn
under President Rooseyelt8or any other
"Tatt is tho victim Of that curious
psycholog turn in politics that
comes in. spite Of anythlnE.s was 9
ago, Its 9shad ow@ could 4heN seen lonr
before Roosevelt went out OF office
! and, with his usual luck. he escapec
It. the worry and trespo ponsibilities fall:
Ing upon his sue ccesso r.
But the PREDICTION Is that Mr.
Roosevelt vii he drawn into lit before
three months mass. He can llardlyaes.
cape the Issue o. being With 1.-The Fresi-
dent and the Regular leaders or against
them IT he turns against the In-
surgents. as tSis believed he will, his
action will he too late to heal tho
breach. His great II be vast
ed, and he will be eareIentl lessly. &unwll-
lingly drawn8intoS the 6n1aelstronl that
so many predict Is waiting to swallow
tho party and many OF Its great naen-v
I,tempornrily at least t.. ss f'8a!t5S #
storm Centre Probably.
II MFR. Roosevelt takes any part In
politics between now and November
| 1t is ilnpossi bleE to see. according to the
view to-day, how he1 can avoid being
nrrayed on ono side or ther her, The
prediction IL that le Will SEQ this
and will wade In becoming the real
storm centre Of the hottest political
fight ever known within tho Repnbli-
D. The election of d - Demoeratic House
has been practically forecast by Re-
publicans for months. The wfde- open
rupture now SO plainly shown arenew
lconfIdent prod lotions Is to that eftect
Trcre III be little regret. too, It * Ii
said to- day, the belier being expressed
that tho election of ~ penl6cratio
HousD now will save the presidency
Tor tho Republ leans two Years from,
now III ~ st sSsS Sst sieS