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Show FIGHT IS SURE Oil SMI Congress and Country Divided Over the Measure Urged by President Taft. MIDDLE WEST OPPOSED TO IT Presidential Possibilities for 1912 Already Being Considered in Washington Democrats Favor Gov. Harmon of Ohio. Washington. When President Taft was In the northwest he made a plea for the passage of a ship subsidy law at this winter's session of congress. It seems to be assured that the senate sen-ate will sanction the legislation which the president has asked, but there is still strong doubt whether the house will agree to put the measure through. Among the representatives the sentiment sen-timent for and against ship subsidy seems to be about equally divided. If anything relating to ships can be said to have hard sledding, the measure which would grant the subsidy for the upbuilding of the merchant marine certainly has had it for some years. The difficulty that lies in the way of legislation the object of which is supposed sup-posed to be to make the American flag a more frequent sight on the high seas, is that the country has been divided against itself on the proposition. proposi-tion. The great middle west seems in the main to have been opposed to paying pay-ing out government money for what some people have declared to be the interests of the ship builders. On the coasts east and west there has been a strong desire to have congress take action. When the fight comes off in the house it will be in the nature of a civil warfare with section against section. There will be no blood shed, but there will be some strong words and challenging of motives in plenty. Humphrey Bill Introduced. The bill which has been introduced by Representative Humphrey of Washington Wash-ington is the one about which the forces favorable to ship subsidy will rally, and against which its opponents will array themselves. In brief, the bill provides for money to be paid for carrying the mails in ships built in America. The bill of course provides much more than this. It has provisions provis-ions which it is supposed will provide a nucleus for an increased American navy in time of war, and it makes, provision also for adding to the navy's strength in time of trouble the jailors jail-ors who are trained on the marine ships carrying the stars and stripes. The campaign in favor of ship sub-Sidy sub-Sidy has been a most vigorous one in many ways. A publication called "The American Flag" has been sent broadcast filled with arguments In favor fa-vor of the measure which is now before be-fore congresB. On the other hand the majority of the'' Democrats in house ahd senate, and with them a goodly number of Republicans have denounced de-nounced every proposition to subsidize subsi-dize ship builders, for this is what the opponents of the bill say that it amounts to. If the measure should became a law American ocean mail carrying steam ers probably would be built on both coasts to carry postal matter to South American and to some parts of the orient. The amount of money paid for carrying the mail would be sufficient suf-ficient inducement to build American vessels which would carry not only the mail, but merchandise and very likely passengers. The prospect of the debates on the floor of house and senate on this question is bright with the promise of good speeches for and against the measure, and of sharp exchanges' which will interest the galleries, and the country when the words have been reduced to written form. Looking Forward to 1912. "Presidential politics" in Washington Washing-ton are lost to sight, if not to interest, for only about one year after the national na-tional election. Already the Democrats Demo-crats and Rpnnhlirrnc in nH!.i.il enthsiasm. They say they hold the belief that Judson Harmon, governor of the Buckeye si ate, has the right kind of "liberal conservatism" to make him an ideal leader of the Democratic party in the next presidential campaign. cam-paign. The Democrats declare that Mr. Harmon stands well with the east and that he lias not been too much of a conservative to have won the heart of the Democrats of the west. It Is to be taken for granted, however, that one reason why some of the Democrats Dem-ocrats have considered Governor Harmon Har-mon particularly available is because he comes from Ohio and has carried that state against the Republicans. The Demorcats who are favorably inclined to Harmon believe and say that if he does not carry the state the next time he runs for governor his chances for receiving the Democratic Dem-ocratic nomination virtually will be eliminated. In Indiana, the state next west of Ohio, is Governor Marshall, who was elected on the Democratic ticket in the year when the Republican Republi-can presidential candidate carried the state. In the Democratic party as it is represented in Washington Governor Gover-nor Marshall has scores of friends, In fact all the Democrats are personally friendly to him. Might Pick Southern Man. There are some Democrats who think that the time has come to nominate nom-inate a southern man for the office of president. Senator Culberson of Texas Tex-as frequently has been named as a man who from the Democratic standpoint stand-point is of ideal character and attainments attain-ments to head the ticket. Then there are some other Democrats who say that if Mayor William J. Gaynor, the mayor of New York, makes a fine record rec-ord as chief executive of the metropolis, metropo-lis, one of the hardest tasks that is allotted al-lotted to man to perforin, he may be a potent factor in the next convention of the Democratic party. House Wants Early Adjournment. It seems to be the intention of those who control the processes of legislation legisla-tion in the house to pass the appropriation appro-priation bills and such legislation of another kind as may be agreed upon by the leaders, in as short a time as possible, and to seek an early date for adjournment. Looking over the field some of the leaders are ready to say that congress ought to be able to adjourn by May 15, and that the members as a result will be given an opportunity to go home to look after their fences which need repairing in order to prevent invasion by the Republican Re-publican or Democratic enemy next November. The senate, however, is a law unto itself in the matter of debate. The senators can talk as long as they care to upon any subject, and the vote can be taken upon a measure only by unanimous consent. This means that if one senator chooses to hold up legislation leg-islation he can do so within the limits of his physical strength. The senate leaders, like the house leaders, it is believed, have agreed to support President Pres-ident Taft's recommendations, and this meaEs that as far as the chief senators have it in their power, legislation legis-lation will go through quickly. Of course the unexpected is likely to happen and there may be strength enough developed by the ultra-conservatives In the upper house who have noi committed themselves personally per-sonally to the president's program, to prolong the discussion on interstate commerce amendments or on the changes demanded in the anti-trust law, until away into the summer season. sea-son. Watching for "Jokers." The Democrats in the house and in the senate by agreement among themselves them-selves will scrutinize carefully every bit of legislation which the majority have proposed. As the Democrats put it, they do not intend to let any legislation legis-lation go through which may have in it anything in the nature of a "joker," that is under a technical construction might vitiate the whole law. Such jokers have been known to find a place in legislation, and it has been no secret in the past that occasionally they have been put in purposely. Id recent years, however, with the awakened awak-ened public conscience and with the pressure that the people have brought to bear upon their senators and representatives, rep-resentatives, the joker is becoming rarer and rarer. It is a bold man today to-day who would undertake to insert one in legislation, knowing that on its discovery its authorship would be traced and he would be held up in public view as one who was willing to nullify the measures by the people. GEORGE CLINTON. . yv.. .u vj"iv.iai iiie in the capital are beginning to look forward to 1912 and to guess, and even to prophesy, as to whom the chieftains of the two parties will be in the struggle of that year. Naturally much of the interest centers cen-ters about the chances which the president pres-ident has to succeed himself. One great section of the Republican party seems to be well satisfied with the president's career so far, while another an-other section, while admitting willingness willing-ness to wait before passing final judgment, judg-ment, seems to think Mr. Taft is uoth- ' ing like as aggressive as he ought to' be in view of the fact that he said ; he would carry out the legislative pol- j icics of his predecessor. j The Progressive Republicans in i house and sw.ate, most of w hom come from the west, will not yet say one ' word as to the probabilities of the re-nomination re-nomination of President Taft three! years ln-nce. They declare that the next president will be a progressive tee n al kind, presumably tile Roosevelt Roose-velt kind, though no one yei has ihe! temerity to take it for granted that, the mighty African hunter would consent con-sent to run again. The Progressives will say nothing publicly about President Presi-dent Tat't's chances, b. cause he has not had full opportunity thus far. J some of them say, to make clear whether he is an absolute progressive or one who is only progressive in part. Democrats Consider Harmon. Many of the Democrats in congress have been casting their eyes toward Ohio recently with kindling hope and |