The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-10-16
THE REAL CANNON.

test in this district by writing let
ter to the pottery manufacturers OF
East Liverpool, is himself getting into
the limelight of publicity, with the re-
suit that the rustic mask he assumes
is shown to conceal grasping pluto
crat.
Cannon is reported to have become
personal friend of Congressman Ken
nedy while passing the time in the
very seductive American game of pok-
er, but posted parties say that he fav-
ors Kennedy because the latter is
but a puppet who will vote when want
ed and the way the horde of govern
ment looters desire. Cannon does
not want men of brains as congress
men. He wants figure heads who will
do as they are directed.
In public statement issued at Sioux
Falls, S. D., ex-senator Pettigrew
dresses down Cannon in the following
caustic manner:
Speaker Cannon is the owner of
two national banks and one OF the
richest men in public life today. Nat
urally he does not wish to change
the conditions which have enabled !
him to pile up his great fortune.
Hence he is the bitter foe of tariff
reform. He believes in standing pat, |
because under the present square deal
he is holding a hand full of aces.
During his entire congressional ca |
reer this man has persistently and, |
as a rule, successfully, opposed every |
legislative measure framed to protect |
the people from criminal corporate ag- |
gression.
He was bitterly opposed to the |
meat inspection bill, but the stencil
that arose from the Chicago packing
houses was too strong to be ignored.
The public forced his hand and he
had to be content with saddling the
expense of inspection on the govern
ment
He fought the railroad rate bill
from the outset. When he saw that
awakened public sentiment could no
longer be successfully defied he Sc
cured the mutiliation of the original
bill, so that in it's present emasculat-
ed condition it simply affords the rail
roads an additional bulwark behind
which to hide.
"He prevented the passage of bill
prohibiting corporations from con-
tributing to campaign funds.
He has been the master spirit in
the scheme which has existed for the
past eighteen years to defeat the de-
mands of labor. Bills favorable to
the workingman have been passed
every year by the house, with the
agreement that the senate would kill
them in committee, and the senate has
likewise passed similar bills with the
that Joe Cannon and
his henchmen in the house would re-
ciprocate the favor.
Il have no hesitation in saying
that Cannon was the real spirit in the
infamous land frauds which were re-
Gently exposed. 1t was he who secured
the passage of a law enabling rail-
roads to exchange any land they had
obtained from the government for any
other equal quantity of government
land. Under this provision the North
ern Pacific exchanged thousands of
acres of crags and snow fields situated
on Mount Tacoma for an equal guam
tity Of the best pine lands in Wash
ington and Idaho. After this process
had continued for some years and |,
the railroads had palmed off all their
worthless land on the government,
Cannon and his worthy senatorial col
league, Allison, consented to the re-
peal of the law. The interior depart
ment is now prosecuting an army of
petty rascals, the tools of the rail-
roads, for their share in these huge
swindles, but the real criminals are
secure.
Some years ago the senate limited
the price to be paid for armor plate
to $500 per ton. The plate dealers
were known to be in collusion and
competition did not exist. The COM
panies were selling the same grade
Of armor plate to the Austrian govern
ment for $3.50 ton, but they demand
ed $3.50 from the United States gov
eTDment. 1t was attempted to save
the government from this gigantic rob-
berry by enabling it to own an armor
plate plant. Then Cannon came to
the rescue of his friends. the steel
men, who have always contributed lib
orally to the Republican campaign
fund, and killed the bill in commit
tee.
He has put $S5,O0O,o0o yearly into
the pockets of the lumber trust by I
defeating the bill to reduce the duty