Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-26
SPEAKER CANNON DEFENDS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Washington, Dec. 26--Speaker Cam
non was one OF the callers at the White
House today He desired simply to
pay his Christmas greetings TO the
president. but was Obliged to defer
them as the president had gone to the
country for a long horse back ride.
The speaker was In excellent spirits
and talked with the newspaper men in
characteristic way.
They say things are not now like
they were In the old days; that We are
becoming aristocrats. that there is no
longer honesty In legislative bodies;
that there In no ability at the bar; that
we are liable to become a monarchy;
that some strong man is liable to rise
up and dominate everybody.
But say that there IL no fairmind-
ed man who studies the history OF this
country from the days Of its foundation
down to the present time and who de-
duces the differnce between 100000
of people and SO.OO0.0OO who considers
the telegraph telephone and the rail-
roads who will not say we are marked
~ better physically. mentally and NOR
ally than our grandfathers or even our
fathers"
Then you believe the house of rep
resentatives is just as representative
as it was in years gone by?"
yes. yes, indeed" the speaker re-
piled.
"The house Is just as representative n
body now as II was when the country
had only ten millions of people, II you
listen TO all that Is said you might be-
lieve the country is fast going to the
devil, is fast becoming monarchy and
will cease soon to be "A republic. why.
] heard that same kind OF talk when
] was a boy. when we used to gather
at camp meetings, They used to tell
us that things were not what they were
in the good old days You hear the
same things now; that the country Is
retrograding; that everybody Is cor
rupt and dishonest; and that there IL
wholesale immortality do not hesitate
TO assert that this country Is better to-
day than It ever was In its history,
that the people are better-more hon
est. more moral and less disposed to
yield to temptations that are put In
front of honest men at every turn.
"The people are just as mighty now
In the matter OF elections as ever be-
fore and Just as discriminating as TO
whether a man has done his duty. No
man ever gets so big that he cannot
easily be wiped of the political map.
And how quickly the people do It too
They settle man so quickly that ne
is soon forgotten.
II venture the prediction that few
of the best men In the country could
sit down today and give off hand the
names OF 100 men who have helped 70
make history In the house OF represen-
tatives. The others were defeated and
forgotten, and that was the end. There
was William ]. Brown who put through
the house the appropriation Of $4,000 to
build the first telegraph line between
| Washington and Baltimore. He did
| the world an immense service. yet AT
the next election afterwards he received
hardly enough votes to count. The
opposition put up man who rldleuled
| the idea OF sending messages by light
| ming and ne beat Brown thousands OF
votes. SO II is today. although mans
| services now are not so easily condoned.
Undoubtedly We are better of than
our forefathers. The millennium Is not
| here. II Is true. and things will not be
bit interesting until everything be-
| comes perfect. We are doing better
| though"