The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-03-09
Odd Comfy Of Political Opinion
Between Leaders of 0ppos-
ing Parties.
BOTH ARE FOR RECIPROCITY
President is Now Without Party In
House-InIured by His Poor Aids
CIark's BIunder Hurts His
Future-Party Dis
clpline Gone.
By WILLIS ). ABBOT.


lnent Republican representative in
congress Of me the other day, will
the Democrats do In their next con-
vention? Are they going to make
their ticket Taft and Clark Champ
or shall it be Clark and Taft?" With
In a minute or two another Republi-
can representative-the latter from
Ohio, the first was from Kansas
stopped at my seat in the hotel lobby
with the remark, II won't vote for
Taft on a Democratic ticket or
Democratic platform. You fellows
can have him If you want him"
All of which conversation, and
much more like It, unnecessary to
quote here. grew out of the Taft reci-
procity treaty, but even more out Of
the speech which the president made
ut the Pan-American conference SO
ably presided over by John Barrett.
Taft and Clark In Accord.
No doubt the press associations
have carried the text Of this speech.
and the accompanying one made by
Champ Clark, the Democratic leader
in the house of representatives and
its next speaker. But at the risk Of
repetition wish to call attention to
this curious comfy of political opin-
ion between two leaders Of opposing
parties:
Taft-Mr. Clark is in favor Of reci-
procity agreements with all parts of
the world and so am l.
Clark am In favor of reciprocity,
not only with Canada, but with all
the South and Central American re-
publics. In fact am in favor Of reci-
procity with all the nations on earth.
Twenty-four hours later the house
passed the Mccall bill, giving effect
to the Taft treaty and passed it by
Democratic votes. The strongest
speech in its behalf was made by
Champ Clark, who may be Taft's an
tagonist in the next presidential cam
paign. The bitterest opponents of the
measure were Republicans. The Iowa
delegation of Republicans voted as
unit against it. The Democratic chair
man of the next ways and means
committee defended it; the Republi-
can leader on the floor, Mr.. Dalzell,
bitterly opposed it.
Reactionaries Bitter Against TAFT.
What does all this portend: Fur
ther breaking down Of party lines?
So far as the house of representatives
is concerned President Taft is presi-
dent without a party. The bitterness
with which Republicans, who only a
month ago were declaring that he was
regaining his old-time popularity, now
speak of him, is only paralleled by
the way Democrats in 1896 spoke of
Cleveland, their only president since
the civil war But this time the
Democrats while applauding the Taft
policy, do not applaud Taft, nor do
they show any indication Of divided
party. True a few did vote against
the reciprocity program, but they
were those who explained in the party
caucus that they were bound by
pledges given to their constituents
which took precedence of caucus obli-
cations. Essentially the Democrats in
the house were as united as the Re
publicans were divided
Has Antagonized Old Guard Leaders.
The bearing of this on the coming
presidential election is most import
ant President Taft who certainly
will seek denomination, and probably
will get 1t, has antagonized by his
reciprocity treaty and by the speeches
and messages with which he has de-
Tended it, the most influential mem
bers of his own party. In the house
of representatives he had hardly de.
fender of his own political faith whose
name would be recognized by the
country at large as that of leader in
the councils of the G. o. P. His de-
henderson the defenders of his
measure-were mainly Democrats.
Supported by Democrats.
But the Democrats stood for the is
sue and not for the man. They
claimed that he was merely preaching
Democratic doctrine and that they
would not desert their cardinal prin-
ciple of a freer commercial inter-
change of commodities with foreign
peoples merely because it found new
expression in the state papers and
public utterances of a Republican
president. Champ Clark, in the best
speech he ever made in the house,
defended the bill-but Champ is him
self an active candidate for the Demo
cratic nomination. Oscar Underwood,
chairman of the ways and means com.
mittee, was a valiant lieutenant on
the floor, and applauded the presi.
dents policy-but no Republican
nominee for the presidency would
ever get the Underwood vote. So
stands the political situation on the
Democratic side.
But do not overstate the attitude
of Republican leaders when / say
that at the present moment there are
many of them who do not hesitate to
say that their program is to renomi-
nate President Taft and defeat him
for reelection precisely as was done
with President Harrison in 1892. This
animosity does not proceed wholly
from his advocacy of the reciprocity
project, though 1t has found fits most
open expression since he pressed that
treaty upon congress. 1t is at this
writing most frankly voiced in the
house, but have heard enough conf
dental talk among senator's to feel
certain that when the treaty reaches
that hOdv tha revolt against Taft ff
less noisy, will be more sinister and
threatening.
People Favor Reciprocity.
And yet no one who watches public
sentiment in the country will doubt
that outside of a few restricted local..