Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-12-04
Cannon
Has a WaIkOver, According
to MallnIn---Als0 Says the
Speaker Is Needed to
Pass Tariff Bill

one-half Of the Republican members
elect of the Sixty-frst congress have
pledged themselves to the reelection
of Speaker Cannon.
This announcement, made yester-
day by Congressman James r. Mann,
of Chicago, who secured the pledges,
puts an end to all clamorous talk of
a fight against the veteran speaker
of the house.
+ Congressman Mann declared that
not only have more than majority
of the republicans who will sit in
the next congress put their pledges,
in writing, but he said that nine
tenths Of them will be III the Cannon
iband-Wagon by January 1. ss
The only ones who are holding back
he says, are some Of the newly elect
ed members who want to sound their.
colleagues before committing them
selves.
Concerning the talk of a radical
amendment of the rules to shear the
speaker of his power. Congressman
Mann insists that it will be impossible
to pass a tariff bill unless the house
Ihas someone as a responsible head,
and that the very men who are now
loudest in their demands for the aboT-5
ition Of strict rules will be the first
to beg for the reaffirmation of the
old rules, once the filibustering be-
gins.
He said that he favored some mi
nor changes in the rules and there.
| is no doubt if anyone had a genu-
inely workable amendment to offer,
| it would be passed. But to divide
the speakers power among commit
tee, as has been suggested, he said,
I would convert the house into USE
less mob which would accomplish
nothing.
5'''I have sent out letters to most of
the Republican members Of the next
congress, Mr.. Mann said, aand all
though the last of the letters only
went out a few days ago, i have al
ready received pledges from consid-.
Ierably more than one-half of the
Republican mbers-elect, declaring
that they will vote for Speaker Can
non. You cannot make that too
strong. There is no longer the slight
est doubt about his reelection. In
fact, there never was any. There
has been a lot Of talk, but some Of
the men who have been looked to
lead the fight against him have writ.
ten me that they are going to vote
| for him.
"Of, the old members of the house.
only one who has answered has failed
to pledge himself to Mr. Cannon. He
says that for political reasons he
cannot at this time align himself
with Mr.. Cannon. But he is the only
one.
aof the new members there are
possibly half a dozen who have de-
clined to commit themselves. Most.
of them want to talk things over first,
with their colleagues. But by Jam.
we will have nine-tenths Of the Re-
|publicans pledged to Cannon. Z
Although Congressman Mann re-
fused to give any figures or names,
members Of the Pennsylvania dele.
cation declare that out Of their ~
members rs have been pledged to
Cannon, and the lone outsider will
be brought into camp within short
time.
Speaking of the proposed changes
in the rules, Congressman Mann CON
Itinued:
Il do not think there is any seri-
lous proposition on. foot to change
the rules of the house. There may
be a couple of minor ones. myself
have a few unfmportant amendments
which I expect to suggest, Any rea-l
sonable amendment which viii be
workable viii, of course, be accept
| ed 53
But we have been working under
the present rules since the nifty
fourth congress. Despite of all this
clamor, they are good rules. And all
this talk about the tyranny of the
speaker is rot. do not think that a
genuine move VIII be made to take
away any Of his power.
1And IL they do, the same people
who are now making all this noise,
will be the first to SO down on their
knees to ask that the old rules be re-
stored and that they be made stricter8
than ever. III
This tarif bill which we will pass
next summer will be the most diff
cult piece OF legislation which con-
gress has ever attempted. with b
thousand schedules to arrange. Just