The San Francisco call., 1907-06-16
SPEAKER CANNON TELLS
OF RIGHTS OF STATES
Addresses Students on the
Mercenary Qualities
of Sections
DUTIES ARE SHIFTED
Says That Tendency Is to
Centralize Power at
Nations Capital


states losing their self-respect? Is the
old proud independence of the states
GIVING way to the spirit of mendicancy
ana supservience? And is this change
the real reason why the current Of
power sets so rapidly toward Wash
ington?
These questions in effect, were asked
oy speaker Cannon during his recent
visit to his native town. Guilford, in
North Carolina He asked them in an
oHhand speech, which has not been re-
ported, because he spoke on the spur
OF the moment, at a dinner of college
aIumni to which he had been taken
arter a hard days travel. Something
SAID by a preceding speaker, and the
days experience gave Cannon his text,
and the resulting speech was a notable
contribution to the discussion of states
rights and Capitalization of power.
Speaker Cannons speech was gro-
tesquely twisted by some of the re-
porters into an Endorsement of the
south's treatment of the negro question.
OF course he meant nothing of the
KIND, and had no idea that his remarks
would be so construed The furthest
ne went in that direction was to shy,
we have our problems and you have
yours, and we are all working them out
10 the best of our ability with op-
timism and courage"
1t happened that coterie of accom-
pllshed and genial gentlemen took oc-
casion of Speaker Cannon's visit to
Cuilford to show him the old Guilford
battle ground, at the same time deftIy
suggesting to him how fitting it would
be II the United States should purchase
the battlefield and make it national
park. incidentally it developed that
the patriotic gentlemen making this
suggestion were the owners of the bat
tleheld They have indicated, however,
that they will not be obstinate in hang
ing on to their holdings If the United
States really wants the land
CANNON ADDRESSES STUDENTS
That night Speaker Cannon was sit
ting in the office of the president Of
IuliIord college chatting and telling
stories. when he was advised that about
40 alumni were in another room hay-
Ing little dinner, and he was invited
to join them. He did so and was soon
made target by one of the speakers
VINO suggested that the speaker of the
house was perhaps more of a politician n
than student. When Cannon was in
vlted to speak he seized the occasion To
remind his audience that governing the
United states was nothing more than
the exercise of politics. He hoped
that college graduates would do
their duty in politics. and If they did
not, he had poor respect for the college
education that did not induce a man to
participate in the government of bis
own country. Then he entered upon
the really important part of his re-
marks. 1t is unfortunate that no record
was kept of them
He said he was in a position where
the mercenary qualities of communf-
ties and states were thrust upon his
attenion. 1t was his observation that
the mooern tendency was to look
higher up" for financial and po,itica1
and judicial and all other kinds of
assistance and relief, instead of exer-
clslng self-denial and self-reIiance
Inc individual more and more relies
upon governmental Organization. The