The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1907-11-22
CUR WASHINGTON LETris.

&
MR ED5r0R:-I u,licatioE5 OF that
;aaes harmony which prevails il the
f5J3b can 0aray Whenever tho Subject
1f i .aiiff : under consideration are
ii = e, and Speaker Cannon has al
a.Dav g1sen evidence of his determine
-:oo 10 tbwalt the desire Of the Presi-
t-.s anu Of Secretary Taft to have the
U.a2ley tariff revised at a special SEES
ST. iln!ue diately following the next
J.. ,,cnl.al N auguration. Represent
at:ye Buctoa OF Ohio has avowed his
allegiance to the tariff revision pro-
gramme. Representative Gresvenor, Of
Ohio, was, it will be remembered, de-
feated in his race for bIeans Committee,
that committee which will have to re-
port revised tariff bill or take the re-
sponsibilitY of refusing to do SO. Mr..
| Burton, feeling him self entitled to Cen
eral Grosvenor's former seat has an
nounced his intention of resi- gning the
Craftsmanship of the Rivers and Har
bors Committee which he has filled for
years with notable ability, in order that
he might be appointed on Ways and
Means. Now Speaker Cannon, in an
arbitrary decree which exceeds any
thing even attempted by the Kate 'Czar
Reed, has caused to be made public
first that Mr.. Burton cannot resign un-
til he is appointed with the new eom-
mittees of the coming Congress and
that if he then persists in resigning, the
Speaker will submit to the House the
| question. z.9hall Mr.. Burton of Ohio be
relieved. I'M all further duty on the
! commits of the House?" In other
words, ess Mr.. Burton does precisely
as he sold by the speaker, serves as
chairman of Rivers and Harbers and
ceases his efforts to get on Ways and
Means, he will be deprived of all his
committees assignments.
| Mr.. Cannon is first of all things a
''stand patter' and he is wholly unwlll-
ing to permit revisionist to go upon
this important committee. Incident
ally, too, Mr. Cannon fondly chsrishes
the illusion that he is presidential pos.
| sibility and he regards blow at Mr..
Burton IS body blow at Mr.. Taft, who
is conseded to be the most likely Of the
| Republican possibilities. How good
it is for brethren 10 dwell together in
harmony.
There are many indications that the
all powerful influence eXerted by the
| Speaker is to be prostituted to the pro-
motion of what he foolishly regards as
his presidential chances. For instance
Representative Fordney of Michigan,
who is most anxious to secure seat on
Ways and Means, has already held his
district convention and elected two del
egates to the national convention and
instructed them to cast their votes for
Mr. Cannon. Having been held before
the call of the National Committee the
convention was doubtless illegal but
that will probably interfere in no way
with the Sperkeg'5 gratitude and Mr.
Fordney's ambition. A neat sign on
the door of The Speakers room reading,
call members who inspire to good COM
nttee ASST gnnents must first see that
their district delegates to the next nat
ion2l convention are instructed to vote
for Joseph G. Cannon for President"
would be most appropriate as it would
correctly portray the motives which
are controlling Mr.. Cannon in making
up his slate of Committees for the new
Congress.
Representative Swagor Sherley of
, Kensnoily has come to Washington to
; frame up, with some of his colleagues
certain amendments ts the House rules
which if adopted would checkmate the
prostitution of his autocratic powers of
which Speaker Cannon is guilty, but
unfortunately, Mr.. Sherley's efforts are
not destined to amount to anything
more than creditable Democratic pro-
test against the existing conditions.
Every man who votes for any curtail-
ment of Mr.. Cannon's power knows full
well that the vindictive resentment OF
the Speaker will follow him throughout
the Congress and that he will be injured
in the eyes of his constituents in every
way that the Speakers emnipolent pow
er will make possible. Truly Mr.. Sher-
ley deserves credit for his courage.
Democrats in Washington are much
gratifi ed over the positive declaration
of Mr.. Bryan ON the subject of his at
titude toward the Democratic Presi-
dental nomination of 1908, and they
| are all heartily in sympathy with the
sentiment he SO aptly expresses when
be says; st only remains for the
Democratic party to convince the vo-
tiers that it can be entrusted with the
work of reform, and nothing will do
more to convince the public than re-
fusal to negotiate with predatory wealth
and an honest appeal by honest
methods to the honest sentiment of the
| country"
| The Peace Conference of the Central
American republics is occupying the
centre of the stage this week., and the
opening ceremonies were informal,
though quite impressive. Secretary
Root opened the conference with an
able and most felicitsus speech in
which he expressed the qualification of
the people of the United States that the
| States of Central America feel they
will find here an atmosphere favorable
to the development of ideas of peace
and unity, and assured the delegates of
the sincere and friendly desire for sue
cess in their labors on the part of the
! United States. And Mr.. Root declared
that nothing could prevent the people
of these five republics from living to-.
gether in peace and unity, except the
| am EDITIONS of individuals who care more