The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-05
Fight Against Administration Is
Assuming Very Serious
Proportions
PATRONAGE WITHHELD
FROM DISSATISFIED
Insurgents Are Very Sore Upon Find.
ing Out That They VIII Have
No Chance To Put Men
into the offices.

Washington. January 4-war without
quarter will be waged between the Taft
administration and such republican in
surgents as are now opposing and who
oppose in the future the Taft legislativa
programme. The battle is not with those
tariff insurgents who quietly sheathed
their blades after defeat, but with those
who have nursed disappointment and are
whetting their knives publicly In anticf-
patton of continued conflict
The battle broke suddenly today and
tonight 1t has taken on the aspects of
a general engagement, the consequences
of which cannot be told The substance
of 1t is that senators and congressman
who have taken a stand against the
present administration and who continue
to align themselves with the opposition
TO the Presidents policies are to receive
no consideration In matters of patron
age.
Utterances such as that made bv Sena-
tor Cummins at recent dinner in Des
Moines, by Senator Brstow in previous
speeches. anti-Taft articles In Senator
La Follettes magazine and recent in
terview by Senator Clapp on the price
or food stuffs are said to have stirred
the President to action. 1t had been re-
ported further that some OF the insur-
gents in the House have tried to secure
appointments under the administration
of men more or less opposed TO the Taft
regime. Mr.. Tafts closest friends ad-
vised him that 1t would be impolitic 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 programme, and in
the country at large by creating anti
Taft sentiment in advance of the 1912 con-
vention.
Following Advice.
1t is stated without reserve tonight that
the President has listened to such advice
and has decided to follow It.
In support of the position taken by
certain administration leaders that the
battle is not with the tariff insurgents.
it was pointed out tonight that Senators
Nelson, Brown. Burket and Borah, all of
whom voted against the Payne Aldrich
tariff BILL appeared to be persona grata
at the White House, postofftce depart
ment land office and internal revenue
bureau, where federal pie s served
No politician who would discuss the
situation at all tonight dared hazard
an opinion as to the political outcome of
the contest. Some insisted that It would
arouse bitter opposition to President Taft
Wtlle OtnerS declared lndt the erect
would be to make all republicans fine up
for or against the President and smoke
out those who have carefully kept
neutral position.
Representative Miller o. tho Eighth
Minnesota district was the man chiefly
instrumental in blowing the lid or the
situation today. He did 1t by state-
ment to the effect that Postmaster Gen
eral Hitchcock had informed MIN that
hi r'cA a
dental postmssterships were being held
up because of his insurgent activities. He
quoted the Postmaster General az saying
In substance:
"A great deal of pressure IL being
brought TO bear upon me TO withhold from
the insurgent republican congressman the
patronage in their districts I am very
loath to do this. and the matter Is still
under consideration"
Threat Of Fight.
Mr.. Miller said he told the Postmaster
General he intended to carry the thing
to the open floor of the House. but that
Mr.. Hitchcock urged him to defer any
such action until the subject could be
further considered. Whereupon Mr.. Mil
Ter agreed to wait full developments be-
fore precipitating an open fight.
AS soon as the congressman's statement
became known the Postmaster General
called him on the telephone and took
him to task for not having regarded ths
conversation confidential. to which Mr..
Miller replied that he had not so un-
derstood and felt that he had violated no
confidence.
Representative Miller said tonight that
a month or more ago he complied with
a request from the postoffice department
to forward his recommendations on sew
al tina at n ms ",
nesota. After a wait of several weeks he
called at the department, he says. but
could get no satisfactory information,
and was for long time unable to sec
the Postmaster General. He succeeded
in gaining an audience yesterday after
noon, and 1t was during that CONVERSE
ton, according to Mr.. Miller. that Mr..
Hitchcock informed him of the existence
of situation which had made it impos-
sihie to act as yet.
Mr.. Miller insists that he had no idea
the interview was to be considered private
as there were three other callers in Mr..
Hitcbccck's office at the time who might
have heard the conversation. Represent
tative Humphrey of Washington was one
of the three present, and one or both Of
the others we're congressman. Before
making the matter public he had con-
ferred with Senator Clapp from his own
state, also an insurgent. He did not de.>
sire, he said, to precipitate any final
break, but he had merely repeated re-
marks which he considered were unof-
fetal and authoritative
Two Others In Same Boat.
Representatives Cooper and Lenroot Il
wisconsin are also said to have filed
recommendations for patronage upon
which no action has been taken. Neither
t~~l.& A-~S