The Washington times., 1911-05-14
AN1I:TAFT WAVE
IN ILLINOIS MAY
GUST hACVEAGH
His Going Might Avert Loss
of Third Largest
Delegation.
DEMOCRATIC GAINS
SHOW PUBLIC TREND
Appointment of Fisher Has Not
Appeased Discomfort Over
Loss of Patronage.
By IUDSON c. WELLIvER.

By JUDSON C. WELLIVER.
Illinois politicians in Washington
are wondering If there will not be
another Cabinet change before next
winter, taking Franklin MacVeagh
out of the Treasury.
They look upon the Dickinson re-
tirement as Inauguration of a new
condition, If not new policy, in IL
linois.
If there is any State in the Union
whose Republicans are disaffected
with the Taft Administration, it IL
Illinois. The President has seemed
to seek only Democrats for appoint
ment to office there.
Democrats Appointed.
Here is a list-by no means conn.,
plete-of appointments that have
been given to Illinois Democrats:
Secretary of the Treasury-Franklin
Mac,Ieagh.
Secretary of War-Jacob NJ Dick
inson.
Assistant Secretary of the Interior
Adams.
Dyer Norton.
w. DO"cTS.
Minister to China-Charles R. Crane.
Commerce Court-Justice Mack.
The supervisor of the census for
Chicago.
Visitor to the Naval Academy
George Brown.
That is not presented as a COM
plete list, but it is Illuminating. Ili-
nois is a fine big Republican State
used to be, anyhow-and if it had
received all those appointments, for
Republicans. in recognition of its
stalwart party loyalty, it would have
been doing right we'll. But these
people are all Democrats. Illinois Re
publicans have not had enough pa
tronage to remember the taste.
However, Walter L. Fisher was
named a few weeks ago to be Secre-
tary of the Interior Now they are
protesting in Illinois that he never
was a real Republican,!
Democratic Uprising.
Well, anyhow, whether patronage
has anything to do with party loyalty,
Illinois has had its troubles, and lots
of them. When this Administration
came in Chicago had a Republican
crat. In the last House there were
seven Democrats from Illinois: now
there are eleven. Last fall the Demo-
Gratis carried Cook county and cleaned
out the Republican place-holders.
On top of all this. came recently cir
cumstantial intimations that William b.
Mckinley, chairman Of the Republican
Congressional campaign committee and
an Illinois congressman, was organiz-
ing a quiet little movement to get the
Illinois delegation for 1912 away from
Taft. The name of Vice President Sher-
man was used as that of the Mckinley
favorite.
The story sounded fishy-but it was
true according to the best authorities.
old regular machine in Illinois are thor
oughly out of sorts with the President.
They hold him responsible for the
party's troubles. Some other people
do. too-but for different reasons.
There are folks who think the Presi-
dents great mistake was in standing for
Cannon too long. The Cannon McKin-
ley type of Illinoisans don't feel that
way about it.
! The difference in point of view is in
tereSting because it illustrates how all
factions nowadays agreed in blaming It
on the President. The stand-patJers
think him too progressive, the insur-
gents regard him as an ally of the re-
actionaries, and there you are.
Taft Wants Illinois Support.
Illinois took a position near the
s. ge's center when the stand-patters
started talking about getting its dele
cation for Sherman, and almost in the
same breath the insurgents organized
boom for La Toilette. Everybody seemed
in sight of a piece except Taft. Charles
Z. Merriam. the Chicago University
professor, who is city councilman in
Chicago. and who got the Republican,
nomination for mayor this spring by a
big majority, is leading the La Toilette
movement. Twenty-eight state senators
at Springfield this week signed an
agreement associate together in fur
therance of progressive Republican prin-
ciples.
These things have been giving the
Taft managers real concern. Recently
they have been casting about for some
body in Illinois who can manage the
Presidents fight, and thus far they
have not located the right man. The
Administration policy of giving the
Jobs all to Democrats has been con-
stantly urged as making effective work
for Taft impossible.
This is the reason why Illinois people
wonder whether Secretary MacVeagh
will finally retire. His going would
ease the Illinois situation, and open the
way for some party work. The Mer-
riam-La Toilette movement is making
headway in the State in fashion that
has given real concern at Washington.
Illinois has the third largest delegation
in the national convention, and If Taft
should lose it, as result of an early
fight, 1t would be serious. California Is
alreadv gone to the progressives. and
denly arouse the whole country to a
realization that their case is by no