Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-30
TO ATTACK CANNON
Labor Leaders Win Try to Pre-
vent the Speakers Reelection.
TO UNITE WITH DEMOCRATS
Fight VIII 0vershadow All Other
Congressional Districts.
BITTER STRUGGLE IN CHICAGO
Representatives Mann and Lorimer
in Danger Of Defeat-"Billy"
Mason an Active Factor.
pecial Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star
CHICAGO, July q. 1906.
Labor leaders of Illinois, acting in accord
ance with plans of the American Federation
of Labor chiefs, are preparing to attempt
to nip Speaker Joseph G. Cannon's presi-
Dental boom in the bud. A determined eff
fort will be made by the state federation,
according to local union leaders. to defeat
him In his campaign for reelection to Con-
gress. II this is accomplished, they de-
clare the national Speaker win not stand a
ghost OF show of winning the republican
nomination for the presidency
The best labor orators OF the state and
nation, according to Chicago leaders in
Guiding President Samuel Gompers of
the American Federation and President
Mitchell of the United Mine Workers will
go into Speaker Cannon's district and APP
peal from the stump to all the working
men of the district, indicting the Speaker
as the foe of organized labor, and demand
Ing that they vote against him
They will cite the fact that Speaker Can
non took the lead in Congress in opposing
the demands embodied in the memorial to
the national legislature presented by Presi-
dent Gompers and other national labor
leaders They will also quote his defiant
speech on the. subject
These labor leaders are confident that
they can turn thousands of republican
workingmen against Cannon and defeat
him, even though his district usually goes
republican by about 10000. On the otehr
hand. IL he is reelected they declare IT will
be by a greatly reduced majority and this
fact. and the bitter fight they intend to
make against him. will make him impossi-
Bile as nominee for the presidency. The
republican party, they argue, will not dare
nominate him after organized labor has
fought campaign of this sort against him
II this plan is carried out the battle in
Mr.. Cannon's district is likely to overshad-
ow any other congressional election in the
country in Importance. The union chiefs
are now preparing to hold conference
with democratic leaders in the Speakers
district with the purpose of securing the
port the organized labor political program.
II the democrats fail to nominate such
man, the unionsts declare they mill name
an Independent candidate.
Other Illinois congressman who are candi-
dates for reelection Will, If renomnated at
the primaries on August e. feel the weight
of the wrath of union labor at the polls.
While special attention is to be devoted to
the defeat or humiliation of Speaker Can
non, the other members of the state 's-de,c-
cation in the national House of Representa-
tives whom the labor leaders consider hos
tile to their dema nds-and this includes
nearly all of them-will be fought vigorous
ly unless they sign a pledge of support for
the measures advocated by labor.
Desperate Fight in Chicago.
Two of Chicagos members in the national
lower house who were especially prominent
In the most important legislation of the
last session, are fighting desperately to pre-
vent defeat at the approaching primaries.
These are Representatives James r. Mann
and William Lorimer. the erstwhile boss
State Senator Francis w. Parker is making
a hot fight to beat Mann at the republican
primaries in the second district. and ex-
Alderman Luther p. Frestedt Is battling TO
defeat Lorimer in the sixth, stockyards
district.
The Parker Mann struggle is especially
bitter, Senator Parker accusing Representa-
tive Mann of being a tool of the corpora
lions and the enemy of the masses, while
Mann has called his rival various impolite
names, including that of liar. Although
Mann has a strong organization, it is gen.
orally believed that Parker has an excel
lent chance to beat him. All the papers in
the city have scored him numerically for
his vote in favor of the salary gfdb at the
last session and for his efforts to defeat
the rate bill legislation demanded by the
President. Parker declares that as men,
Der and chairman of the interstate COM
merce committee of the House, Mann had
for ten years fought all attempts to report
a railroad rate bill. Parker also points out
that Mann supported the packers in their
drastic
meat inspection law and declares that the
representative boosted championship of
the pure-food bill came only after he had
aided for years In preventing the passage of
such law.
The following extract from one of Sena-
tor Parkers latest speeches In the cam
paign will give an idea of the fight Mr.
Mann has on his hands.
Il say that Mr.. Mann has been the active
friend of the Illegal combinations and
trust or greedy corporations which have
lately sought legislation adverse to the
public, or which have resisted reasonable
remedial legislation. For ten long years
he has been, as he boasts, the Illinois rep
resentative of the house committee on in
terstate commerce. During that time he
has consistently contributed to holding back
the bill for railroad rate legislation, never
hesitating to declare his opposition to it.
For ten years, as a member of that COM
E1ittee and for several years as. what he
proudly calls himself. the pure food expert
of Congress, he contributed to holding back
the pure food bill, which the poor people of
the country demanded. He never did any
thing for either of these bills until after
the President had ordered it done. and then
only in the expiring hours of Congress, when
to have done otherwise would have meant
his irretrievable ruin.
THE Illegal trust and combinations ask
not so mucn 10 secure new legislation as TO
prevent changes in the law as it now exists.
What they want is to be let alone. 0Fhey
desire men in the national legislature who
see them first and only and who will do
their bidding, and from the bottom of my
heart / believe that in Mr.. Mann they have
found such a character
Opposition to Lorimer.
The fight of Friestedt against Representa-
tive Lorimer is equally stirring. The latter
is also accused of being a tool of the trusts
by his republican rival As the chief
champion of the emasculated meat inspec-
ton BILL Lorimer has been the object of