The Washington times., 1912-08-21
house MEMBERS
FEAR IN TAKING
4 STAND FOR TAT 7
Outlook Is Discouraging to
Republican Chairman
Hilles.
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Continued from First Page.)
Progressive national convention, and to
cut loose entirely from the old Repub-
ucan party.
Wickersham himself went to the Pro-
gressive convention and took active
part. He made the issue just as plain
as possible, and the opposition ex
pected to defeat him for It. He had,
moreover, from his appearance in
Washington, been determined oppon-
ent of President Taft, missing no op-
portunity to expose the Administra-
tion's efforts to steer the control of the
Territory into the hands of the Guggen-
helm syndicate.
A Determined Fighter.
Wickersham fairly gloried in his fight
with the Administration. He got into
a personal controversy with his name
sake, Attorney General Wickersham.
He allied himself with every interest
or element that was endeavoring to
make trouble over the Alaska policy
of the administration. He never
minced terms in airing his views, and
no man in the House was more enthus-
iastically and unreservedly hated at the
White House., the Postoffice Depart
ment, the Interior offices. or the Dc
partment of Justice.
Every power that the Administration
and the Alaska Syndicate could array
against him. both two years ago and
this year, was put forth to defeat him,
and both times he turned up on the
day after election with a sweeping vic
tory as result of his single handed
fight.
1t is no secret that Wickersham's VIM
dication in Alaska has had an influence
~
terly out Of proportion to it's seeming
significance. There are many members
hesitating whether the opposition of
Taft Ia not the best asset they could
count. Two years ago the only group
Of Republicans who managed to squeak
through the landslide without losing a
man, were those insurgents who had
made themselves as unpopular at A Ad,
had been read out of the party. In ev-
cry one Of their districts, the party de-
cided to 60 along with them, and they
came back with increased majorities
almost without exception.
For Personal Campaigns.
with few exceptions, Republicans
running for reelection Will try to make
their campaigns personal; to get before
their constituents an appeal for support
on the ground that they personally de-
serve 1t, without reference to party
divisions and factions. President Tafts
name will be mentioned so seldom on
the stump by Congressional candidates
Of his own party, that 1t will stand a
good chance to be forgotten before No
.vember IS. Members feel exactly as
Roosevelt did when, asked about Taft.
he replied that that was a dead issue,
and he wasn't discussing them"
Congress never went home in so gen.
orally a discouraged a frame of mind
as 1t will go this year. Democrats, des-
pite their confidence of carrying the new
House by an overwhelming majority
feel that the legislative work of the
present session has been a fluke and a
disappointment. A good many of them
wanted to do something better than play
politics.
sire among Progressive Democrats anC
Progressive Republicans alike, to get 6
flying start at revision OF some of the
tariff schedules. The fact that the
President has put himself in a hole
politically, by his vetoes, does not en-
tirely compensate for the fact that the
tariff will be at the fore during the mex
two sessions, and that very little els'
will be possible Of accomplishment un
til 1t is out of the way.
Then, too, far-sighted Democrats feal
the effect on their party of dumping the
whole tariff business on it. Many woulC
have been glad to see a series of re
vision measures passed. for which re
sponsibility could be divided with tht
Republicans in case the country's bust
ness showed depressing tendency fol
lowing the enactment of such measures
But, between the Democrats who want
ed to keep the issue alive and the Pres
ident, with his Vetoes, this chance of di
Viding responsibility and making th'
solution somewhat non-political. ha'
been forfeited.