The St. Louis Republic., 1905-12-27
SPEAKER Clll0G /.
IS. N 0PIlM|sI'
Declares the Coaatry IL Growing
Better An the Time and Scots
at Talk Of ~G00d Old Days"
PEOPLE ARE STILL SUPREME
House Of Representatives. Just ~
Representative ~ 1t Ever Was
and Nation More Honest
Than Ever Before.

Washington. Dec. &-Speaker Cannon
Was one OF the callers At the White House
to-cSy. He desired simply to ray his
Christina. greetings TO the Pressdsni. but
was Obliged 10 defer them, as the k'rext-
dent had gone 70 the country fOf . long
horseback ride: The Speaker was in excel
lent spirits and talked Iith his uevopaper
fiiends in his characteristic EnanneS.
They say things are not nov like they
Nsfe IN the Old days: that We are tecn0-
honesty 5 in iess:,asixe @ bSaies: @ d shss Il there =
no ability at the bar: that We are liable 10
become a monarchy: and that rome strong
man is liable to rise up and dominate ev-
erybody.
CANHOS'S OPTIMISM.
But ! say that there is no air.minded
man Who studies the history Of this coun-
Try from the days u IT'S foundation 1Own
Tn the present time Who jeducss the diff
iercnce between s.VsN.SW Of pecp.e and 81
telephone and the railroads. VINO will not
say that We are markedly better PHYSICAL
y. mentally and morally. than our grand
fathers. or even oar fathers"
Then you believe the House Of Repre-
sentaiives Is just as representative - II
was in yearS gone BY!
Yes. yes. inGe-,i." the Speaker replied.
b5, na ss il + rss when as ,hs s.s
"nr ten millions u people IL you listen
o. ali that is said. you might believe the
country Il fast k"tng tn the devil. Is fast
tecon'inE q monarchy And viii cease soon
Why. heard the same kind Of talk
whe;I Was boy. when Ne used 20 gather
at camp meetings They used TO tell us
ti.a, things were not what they we're In
:ne good old days You hear the same
things now: thse the country h reircgrad-
ing: ihat everybody Is corrupt and d.s-
honest: and that there Is Wholesale Inn
morality.
Il do not hesitate. TO assert that this
eo1atry IL bette. to-day than II ever was
In its history: that the people are better.
puss 10 ytei5 to temptations that arc pVt
In front OF honest men NJ every turn.
. People STILL SUPREME
TIE people are just as mighty. now In
ihc matter Of elections as ever before and
ha. ens hs as,y a. e nssh:r sa
gets so big tilat he Cannot easily be wiped
ua the political glap. And how quickly
the I--orl. do II. too. They settle 4 man
30 quickly that he IL s..On forgotten.
Il venture the prediction that few Of the
test-r,ad men In tho country could sit
down to-day and give. onhand. the names
~ Ns, men Who have helped to make his
Others were defeated and forgotten. and
that was the end
There VAS William J. Brown. ~eo put
through H." House tho appropriation Of
sues" t0 build ;he nrst telegraph line be-
tween Washington and baltimore. He
G:d III" world an Immense service, yet At
next stert.tH a.tsfWafd ne received
hardly enough votes to count
THE opposition put up . man Who ridi-
cIiiei IN. idea Of sen'i:nc messages by
.ichtr!nS' and he beat Brown thousands
- votes. So Il IL to-day, although q
rams services ROW are not 50 easily con-
Gcmred.
Undoubtedly. we are better OF than
cv: iorrfa;herS. The millennium isn't here.
Il is ;rae. and things vii! not be q bit In.
te'.st!ng when everything becomes Der.
feet We are doing better. though"