Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-05
WILL HOLD A MEETING
TO DISCUSS THE MATTER
Likely to Take the Question Direct
to President.
REFUSE TO BE COERCED
"Cannot Be Swerved From Their
Course by Official Sop" Declares
Mr.. Murdock-Postmas
General Hitchcock's
Position.

dering on anger, the insurgent republican
members Of the House read the published
reports that they We're to be singled out
by the administration for punishment for
their 'rebellious conduct" as members OF
the majority party of the House
Several Of them were unsparing in their
denuncfation Of policy which sought
to punish a man for freedom and indie
pendence of thought and action. as they
expressed ii. Not few were 10th to be-
lieve that President Taft would lend his
aid TO an effort to administer castigation
to them for supporting the very princi-
pies and policies for which they claimed
the party itself stood pledged.
Representative Madison of Kansas eX-
pressed view of the matter to which
several OF his associates subscribed. He
said:
I'VE insurgents, as we are called. are
not against Taft or his policies. We are
unanimously, l believe, in favor of every
leading reform to which the President
and the republican party are committed
For instance, I am In favor of postal saw
ings, conservation of natural resources.
regulation of injunction, reform of fed
eral court procedure, government regu-
,ation and control of industrial and carry
ing corporations. the publication of cam
paign funds and other reforms. Most of
the other insurgents are for these same
things.
Denounced as Slanderous.
1T is slanderouS to say that we can
be swerved from the course Of supporting
these reforms by the Withholding Of any
official patronage by anybody, or be in
duced to support this or that proposition
by. the offering of official sop of any
kind We are committed to the princi-
pies which / have enumerated. because
we believe they are right and not De-
cause the President or anybody else Is
for or against them
1T is not the insurgents OF the House.
but men like Aldrich and Cannon whom
the President will have to induce to sup
mort his policies The insurgents are
for them already, and have been all the
time"
REPRESENTATIVE Norris of Nebraska
added his approval Of the above deciara,
ton, as did Representative Hayes or
California who said that his tight was
solely against the rules of the House and
its present organization. Upon the lat
ter proposition said Mr.. Hayes, he was
ready to go the full limit and night 10
the finish. 1t was the independence OF
the representative in Congress whlch ne
was contending for. he said.
Senator CumminS said that he had eX-
perienced no difficulty with the POST
Office Department or any other govern
ment department in regard to his patron
age His recommendations had been
asked for i'm Iowa appointments. and
had been acted upon wherever he fur-
niShed them.
Insurgents to Hold Meeting.
A meeting of the insurgent republi-
cans of the House will be held soon to
discuss the situation. Representative
Hayes stated this afternoon that no
meeting would be called by him before
next week.
Il think the boys had better have
chance to cool off, he said. Some Of
them are pretty warm. you know.
Mr.. Hayes said that when he read
today the published accounts of what
purported to be the administrations
attitude toward the insurgents of the
House he did not believe it. He con
sidered the proposition SO suicidal from
the standpoint of the administration
that 1t was Incredible Mr.. Hayes took
occasion to deny the statements pub
lished today in which he was quoted
a saying that he could see Presidents
Tafts finish if he persisted in uphold
ing Cannon" He used no such language.
he said.
There are some conservative members
of the House. who take the view that
the administ ration will err if il Furnishes
republicans solely because they do not
affiliate with the House organization.
They insist that II the President metes
out punishment by Withholding federal
patronage il should he done only in the
cases of those who are openly hostile to
his administration. such as Senators La
Toilette of Wisconsin and Bristow of
Kansas, who have attacked the admins
tration through the columns of publica-
tions which they control.
AT the meeting OF the insurgents an eff
fort will be made to devise ways and
means to meet the situation. The indi-
cations are that a decision will he reach
ed to take the case TO the President, and
find out from him direct just what his
intentions may be.
Many of the insurgents are inclined to
the belief that so far post office ap-
pointments are concerned. the policy of
Withholding appointments is that of Post
master General Hitchcock. and not that
of the President However. some MAIN
tain the belief that the Postmaster Gen.
eral is acting under orders from the
White House.
Insurgents charge that the information
has been conveyed to the White House
that they are hostile to President Tafts
legislative program. and that this may
account for the attitude taken by Mr..
Taft on the question Of patronage. Speak
ing for the insurgents today. Representa-
tive Miller of Minnesota said: There
is ground. so far | know, for the
that the men who are hostile TO
the House organization are enemies of
the Presidents policies. / am friend