The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-10-20
CANNON IS EENCAMAN
OF M0MM0TH TRUSTS
Ex-senator Pettigrew Tears Away
Rustic Mask and Reveals
Grasping Boss.
He Has Put $35,000,000 Yearly
Into Pockets of the Big
Lumber Trusts.

Lumber Trusts.
In recent public statement issued
at Sioux Falls, S. D.. ex-senator Petit
grew has torn away the uncouth rustic
garb in which Joe Cannon has mas
Queraded for the past twenty years
and revealed the grasping plutocratic
boss beneath.
Speaker Cannon" he says, lis the
owner Of two national banks and one
OF the richest men in the republic to-
day. Naturally he does not wish to
change the conditions, which have en-
abled him to pile up his great fortune
Hence he is the bitter foe Of tarir re-
form. He believes in standing ~ :, be-
cause under the present squ9Ie deal
he is holding a hand full OF aces.
During his entire Congressional
career this man has perfstently and,
as a rule, successfully, opposed every
legislative measure framed to protect
the people from criminal corporate ae-
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 government.
HE fought the railroad rate bill
from the outset. When he saw that
awakened public sentiment could no
longer be successfully defied he secured
the mutilat1on Of the original. bill, so
that In its present emasculated condi-
ton it simply affords the railroads an
additional bulwark behind which to
hide.
Foe Of Labor Man.
He prevented the passage of a bill
prohibiting corporations from contri-
buting to campaign funds.
He has been the master spirit in
the scheme which has existed for the
past eighteen years to, defeat the DEM
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 UNDER
standing that Joe Cannon and his
henchmen in the House would recipro-
cate the favor.
Il have no hesitation in saying that
Cannon was the real culprit in the
infamous land frauds which were re-
Gently exposed. It 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 Washing
| ton and Idaho. After this process had
| continued for some years and the rail-
roads had palmed off all their worth
less land on the government, Cannon
and his worthy Senatorial colleague,
Allison, consented to the repeal of the
! law. The Interior Department Is now
| prosecuting an army of petty rascals,
the tools Of the railroads, for their
share in these huge swindles, but the
real criminals are secure.
The Armor Plate Deal.
"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 collision and
| competition did. not exist. The COM
panies were at this time selling the
! same grade Of armor plate to the
Austrian Government for $3.50 per ton.
but they demanded $3.50 from the
United States Government. It was at
tempted to save, the government from
this gigantic robbery by enabling 1t to
own an armor plant. Then Cannon
came to the rescue Of his friends the
steel men, who have always contributed
| literally to the Republican campaign
fund, and killed the bill in committee.
HE has put $35,00o,0oo yearly into
the pockets Of the lumber trust by
defeating the bill to reduce the duty
on imported pine. He has done similar
! favors at different times for each and
| every one Of the trusts.
This Is the man who Is now spoken
of as the Republican candidate for
| President. AS such he will have the
support Of Rockefeller, Aldrich and the
whole army of trust magnates. If a
boundless amount of money can out
match the awakened public conscience
and the educated popular intelligence
he will certainly be elected"