The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-12-04
rNoIE JOE CANYON.

The views of Speaker Joe Cannon of the House of Representatives upon the subject of the duty which con- fronts that legislative body are of equal consequence, if not from prac- tical point of view of greater conse- quence than those held by the Presi- dent. It is the speaker of the house who will shape the work of the ses- sion, who will decide with the commit tee on rules which he controls what proposed bills shall be considered and what proposed legislation shall never get farther than the committee rooms. He is the one official of the federal ad- ministration who wields this vast pow CT and because that is so what he thinks at the present moment is of great concern to the country,
 In his talk to the Republican mem bers of the house at the caucus Sat urday evening accepting the nomina- ton for speaker, Uncle Joe said im- pressively: Tn providing for the pub lie service during the sixtieth Congress we should bear in mind that the de- velopment of the country, marvellous as it is, is still in it's infancy. In my Judgment it is not wise to increase the revenues of the government. nor is it necessary or advisable to transfer bur dens from the local and State treas uries to the federal treasury--to foster a centralizing power and responsibili- ty, which of necessity develops quite fast enough. We have been admonish- ed by events that it Is not time for extravaganza or excursions into the realm of experiment in legislation. It is my personal judgment that we should hold fast the principles laid down by the fathers; that the federal government is one of limited powers, but supreme where it has jurisdiction, and that we should leave to the people of the States the jurisdiction not granted to the federal government, and also leave upon them the respon- sibility and burden of taxation for the same"
 No more reassuring words could have been spoken by the man In whose hands lies power to obstruct experimental legislation and to still the shrill voice of discontent One of the forces which has added it's full weight of terror to nervous people and made the great interstate corporations of the country apprehensive as to their future has been that which has sprung from the consideration of the federal government as substitute for State sovereignty, The effect of 1t has been felt here in the State of Conneet- cut as a consequence of the possibility of it's railroad creature being wrested from State control and being placed under the remote hand of the federal government. This doctrine of a more centralized government has been preached with all of the fascinating eloquence of President Roosevelt and has been treated in turn with sympa- thy by the imitators of that distin- guished gentleman. It has been the de- termination Nof the President to foster and encourage the spirit of centraliza- ton that has awakened new interest in the serious work of the founders and given a new meaning to the term constitution"
 We repeat that the word of reassur- ance for which the country in one of the aspects of it's political responslbili- ty has been watching with such bated interest has been spoken by Uncle Joe Cannon, the speaker of the House of Representatives. It has been spoken in time; it has been spoken at a moment when the business men of the country heed the assurance that the days of hasty experiment are over and thai the lamp of experience has been re- lighted to blaze the way back to the
 well-beaten paths of the fathers. Too
 much significance cannot be attached
 to it. for as the confidence of the peo,
 ple is restored the practical men oi
 the country can begin anew to build
 calm In the knowledge that while
 weird thoughts may still command OK,
 pression before the multitude actior
 will follow and not precede investiga.
 ton by competent men. The futur,
 brightens.