The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-05
FIGHT TO Death
ON |NSURGENT Is.
Patronage Being With
held to Whip Them
Into Line.
LEADERS URGING
PRESIDENT ON
Battle Takes on Aspect Of General
Engagement-Po Politicians Re-
fuse to Hazard Opinion as
to Outcome-Organiz
ton Working Against
Rebellious Members.

Rebellious Members.
WASHINGTON. January 4.-wal
without quarter will be wased be.
tween the Taft administration and
such Republican "insurgents' In Con.
sress as are now opposing and who
oppose in the future the Taft legisla.
tive plan. The battle is not with those
tariff insurgents who quietly she's he'd
their blades after. defeat but with
those who have nursed disappointment
and are whetting their knives publicly
IN anticipation OF continued conflict.
The battle broke suddenly to-day. AT
tirst IT was single shot; then scat
tered firing: swiftly the thing spread.
I until Tonight 1t has taken on aspects
of a general engagement. the conse-
quences OF which cannot be foreto,d
The substance of 1t is that the Sena-
Tors and Congressmen who have taken
stand against the present adminis-
! tratlon, and who continue to align
themselves with the opposition TO the
PRESIDENTS policies, are TO receive no
consideration in matters of patronage.
lterances such as that made by
senator Cummins at a recent dinner in
fDJes Moines, by Senator Bristow in
previous speeches. anti-Taft articles
IN Senator La Follette's magazine. and
"a recent interview by Senator Clapp
on the price OF food stnffs, are said
TO have stirred tue president to ac-
ton.
II has been reported further that
some of the Republican insurgents in
the House nave tried to secure ap-
5polntments under the administration
of men more or less openly out of
harmony with tile Taft regime. a1r.
fTaffs closest friends advised him that
1t would be iinlpolitic for him to afford
sinews OF war to those who, they
warned him. might even cooperate
with the Democrats in Congress
against the Taft Legislative program
and in the country at large by Great
Ing antt-Taft sentiment in advance of
the az convention. 4 ~ Il
is stated without reserve to-
night tina the President has listened
70 such advice and has decided to fol-.
low it.
No politician who would discuss the
situation at all to-nig ght dared hazard
an opinion as to the political outcome
of the contest Sons insisted that 1t
would arouse bitter opposition to Pres
1dent Taft. while others declared that
the effect would be to make all Re-
publlcans line up for or against the
President and Smoke out" those who
have carefully Kept a neutral position.
To Discipline Insurgents.
IT was learned to-day upon unuues-
toned authority that the Republican
organization in the House has directly
appealed to President Taft to with
hold patronage from the insurgent Re-
publicans. that the insurgents may be
tom t. \ lt,,a .v,1 8 ~
crate with Speaker Cannon and tho
out the life of the present Congress.
The President has taken this PROPOSAL
under consideration. Pending a deter
mination as to the attitude OF the ad-
the insurgents have been
Informed that their recommendation
for the appointment Of poStmasters will
not be acted upon.
z There have been reports here for the
past few weeks that the admin stra-
tion intended to support the House
organlza ton. and that in all matters OF
patronage, notably post-oftlce appoint.
ments, those Republicans who were
not listed as regular" would be te.
nored. 1t did not become known until
to-day that this Information had been
directly conveyed to a number of the
by Postmaster General
who was forced to show his
hand by angry insurgents. who pro-
tested against the delay in acting upon
recommendations they had made. and
insisted upon being apprised OF the
reasons for such delay.
This is the story in substance that
the Postmaster-Gener told the insur-
gents who interviewed him on the sub
iect:
Pressure to Benr.
Mr.. Cannon and his friends have
brought the strongest kind of pressure
shall be ignored in the matter of pa
tronage.
In the meantilne," said the Postmas-
ter-General to one Of the insurgents,
II am sorry to say that no action can
be taken on your recommendations"
That the insurgent Republicans are
IL an ugly frame Of mind over this
discovery is expressing it mildly.
The matter will be undoubtedly aired
on the floor of the House, and a strong
protest will. It Is declared be made
to the President against course that
may lead to an abrid cement OF a right
that members of the House have eXer-
cised from time immemoria namely,
the right to name postmasters In their
Case of MIR. Miller.
representative Miller. of the Iii ighth
District, was the man chiefly
In blowing the lid Off,
Of the situation to-day. He did it by
a statement to the effect. that POST
master-Genoral Hitchcock had informed !
him yesterday that his tMiller's) rec
tions for presidential post ;
mastershfps wore being held up be- i
cause OF his insurgent activities In tho +
House. He quoted the Postmaster- /
General as saying In substance:
"a great deal of pressure Is being
brought to bear upon me- to withhold
from the ,insurgent Republican Con-
gressmen the patronage In their dis.
tricts. am very loath to do this,
and the matter is still under constder-
atom
{ Mr.. Miller said that he told the POST
II, a II ~, "a hn .it,fanl IN rrv /