Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-26
LABOR ASSA|LS
SPEAKER CANNON
Determined Effort to Defeat
His Reelection.
NUMEROUS CHARGES MADE
Illinois Statesman Accused of Op.
position to the Workingmen.
ALLEGED TO PUNISH ENEMIES
Also Accused of Rewarding His
Friends, Whereby He Perpetuates
His Power. 80

Under the lead of Samuel Com.
pers, president of the American
Federation of Labor, and the
council of that wide
spread organization, and backed
by the millions of affiliated MEM
bers, a most determined effort is
being made to defeat Joseph q.
Cannon for the speakership of the
House of Representatives. Thou-
sands of copies of a proclamation
denouncing the Speaker and his
methods have been sent broadcast
to labor unions, anH delegates are
personally appealing to represent
atives in Congress to vote
against Cannon. His defeat for
the speakership, leading working
men say, will mean the death Of
any presidential aspirations he
may have.
A determined effort to defeat Joseph G.
Cannon for the Speakership Of the House
of Representatives is being made by or
ganized labor. led by Samuel Gompers.
president of the American Federation Of
Labor.
Many thousands of copies of a proc
lamation signed by President Gompers and
the members of the executive council OF
the federation have been sent to trades
unions in every section of the Union
urging the membership to strive with all
it's might and main for the political over
throw Of Speaker Cannon. His many
"sins of omission and commission" as to
labor legislation are brought into the
hmeIight of publicity, and he Is branded
as foe to the organized workingmeh
of the United States.
It is recited that with the exception OF
few Representatives In Congress VINO
primarily benefit by Speakers Cannon's
methods" nearly all the members.
whether republicans or democrats, chafe
under those methods. and would rejoice
over his defeat It Is also stated that
for his enemies IN The House and a sys-
TEN of rewards for his frierds. and that
he thus seeks to perpetuate his service
in the Speakers chair.
The speaker is denounced, and II Is saio
that some personal work against him
is being accomplished by many delegates
from the. convention of the American
Federation of Labor, held at Norfolk last
week, who are now in this CITY,.
These delegates are said to be having
personal and private conferences with
their members, and some Of them will re-
main here until Congress convenes next
Monday with the hope of being in at
the killing" and also that they may place
on the black list those representatives
who have the temerity to vote for Can
non.
War to the Knife.
ut is war to the knife against Joe Cam
non," said a prominent labor leader to-
day. 1.-THE thousands of labor unions all
over this broad land have been asked to
go on the warpath after him, and we re-
auzc that If we can bring about his defeat
for the speakership his chances for the
presidency, if he has any, will take their
departure up in a balloon. He is a pro-
nounced foe of the workingman, and we
believe in calling white white and black
black"
The proclamation which has been of
fcally promulgated among III interna-
tional unions with their thousands Of
subordinate bodies. 81 state federations Of
labor, 514 city central bodies and 661 local
trade and federal labor unions, with mill
lions of members, is described as one OF
the strongest papers of the kind ever is
sued by the A. F. l.. That much per-
sonal work against Speaker Cannon VIII
be dcre by labor representatives in the
next ten days was conceded this after.
noon.
Text of the Proclamation.
The proclamation Is as follows:
ITO All Organized Labor, Greeting:
1.-The first Monday in December 1907.
the Sixtieth Congress will convene. The
members of the House of Representatives
will proceed to elect a Speaker upon that
day. Usually the candidate of the caucus
of the majority party is elected Speaker
Mr. Joseph G. Cannon has been
Speaker in the past two Congresses, and
unless the well-known opposition to his
methods, even in his own party or other
parties or elements in the House, Is
brought into cooperation, Mr.. Cannon will
unquestionably be again elected to that
position and that election will practically
mean an Endorsement of his past, and
give him full range to carry out that
policy in the future.
"Recognizing all that Mr.. Cannon has
stood for in opposition to progressive leg
islation in the interest of labor hence in
the interest of all the people, We address
the men of organized labor of the country,
so that by common concert of action of
all some representative in Congress may
be elected Speaker who is more In har-
mony with the trend of progressive, re-
formatory legislation; who will aid in re-
storing the House of Representatives to
the important position as deliberatiVe
assembly, representing the people of our
country We ask the prompt cooperation
of labor of the United States to accom-
plish the desired result
1T would be vain to attempt here to
give even a brief account of all of Mr.
Cannon's actions and attitude in which
his hostility to the interests of labor and
the common people could be recounted
Time and space and your patience for
bid. But it is not amiss to indicate few
instances which are of general interest
And this, too. not only as Speaker. but
also as a member Of the House of Repre-
sentativeS.
Alleged Pretense.
During the Fifty-sixth Congress a pre-
tense was made to secure amendments TO
the Sherman antitrust law. The repre-
sentatives of labor were apprehensive that
the purpose Of the amendment to that law
would be to afford no relief to labor, and
therefore suggested an amendment which
it had drafted. Labor's amendment came
before the House for a vote and was