Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-04-21
SETTLE
ROW IN CONGRESS
WITH INSURGENTS
|StandpatterS and RrogresSiveS.
in Both Houses Get Togeth-
er to Punish President Taft
for Reciprocity Agreement
BY Ralph SMITH.

WASHINGTON, April 20.-The stand
pat mountain would not come to the in
surgent Mahomet, and therefore the pro-
gressive prophets in Washington are rap
idly journeying toward the peak of regD
larity. The insurgent Republicans of the
house, with three or four lonely excep-
tions, are opposed 60 the Canadian reel
procity agreement. They are fighting
reciprocity and therefore they have lined
up under the leadership of the old re-
liable Joe Cannon and John Dalzell.
Those two high priests OF standpatism
are daily comforting with such insurgents
as Davis, Of Minnesota, and Lenroot, of
wisconsin. are daily consulting with the
very men who led the revolt against
Cannonism two years ago
1t is not that Cannon has forgiven
them--for he hasn't. 1t is that the Can
non-Dalzell group of incorporating
stalwarts and the Davis-Lenroot radicals
are being brought together by that
strongest Of mortal ties-a common
hatred.
The insurgents don't want Mr.. Taft to
be renominated. The Cannon-Dalzell stall
mated. The insurgents bate Taft for
many reasons, but most bitterly because
he has put them in hole" by his reel
procity agreement. The stalwarts nate
the president because they believe he has
endangered the entire fabric of the pro
tective system by his advocacy of freer
trade relations with Canada.
THE COMBINATIONS HOPE.
Today the Cannon-insurgent combina-
ton is moving heaven and earth to carry
a majority of the Republican votes in
the house against the reciprocity bill.
Sam Mccall, leader of the moderate, or
Taft. wing Of the Republicans. claims
that a majority will be found on record
as favoring the presidents position, but
the Cannon-insurgent forces deny the
possibility Of such thing.
1t is hardly necessary to repeat that
everything and everybody in Washington
is more vitality concerned about the pres
idential campaign next year than about
anything else. The Democrats are play
ing presidential politics. so are the Re-
publicans The conservatives of both par
ties have hands in the game, and so have
the progressives.
Rut the fact that the insurgents hate
Taft and that Cannon hates Taft brings
the two extreme wings of the Republic
cans together They believe that if they
can muster a majority of Republican
votes against reciprocity and let it pass
by a practically solid Democratic vote
and a minority Republican vote, that they
can turn the agricultural states or ths
west against Taft in the national con-
vention. OF course they have not agreed
on q candidate. They couldn't agree, and
they know it. But the first thing to be
done is to overthrow Taft, and to that
end and for that purpose they are work
ing together
over in the senate the same tendency
20 get together may be observed. LaFoi
lette and Cummins, radical insurgents,
are allied with Gallinger and Smoot stall
wart standpatters. in opposition to Can
adian reciprocity. The reason for their
opposition is very different, but the fact
remains. Then there is Murray Crane,
the Massachusetts, sleuth, carrying the
banner OF reciprocity for the president
and declaring that it will go through de-
spite the opposition of the LaFollette-
Gallinger-Bailey combination! Surely
things are passing queer.
Here again the presidential situation is
brought into the game. The insurgent
senator's are opposed to Taft on many
grounds. 1t would be difficult for them
to support the ticket IL he is renominated
without stultifying themselves The ultra
of the Gallinger type share
the view OF Cannon and Dalzell that the
Canadian reciprocity agreement would