The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-12-16
For Waterway improvements.
lIonlin Glohel

|
For Waterway improvements.
(Joplin Globe)
Speaker Cannon's refusal to support
the proposition of the government is
suing bonds as a method of financing
a scheme for comprehensive waterway
| improvement has drawn the fire q
criticism upon aim. And it may be
surmise6 that even Speaker Cannon is
not inviting criticism these days and
would avoid it as much as possible.
Still. In frankly stating that he would
aot vote for such measure The speak
IT must be awarded the merit OF a can
dor that many of his colleagues lack.
It may also be assumed that the
question os watcr transportation and
river improvement will not be delayed
very much in its final and satisfactory
answer by any attitude Of Joseph. q.
Cannon. A few centuries hence our
waterways viii be in truth the streams
our national life. Sparse settle.
nents of today will be the cJngested
treas of a later day that will look to
Irrigation for sustenance. And the part
hat water transportation will play in
he equation of traffic will be mlgih ty;
i viii be prodigt-usly beyond the
dream of today's Missionaries to con-
ceive.
ANY plan, however vast and elabor-
lte 1t may seem today. will, in the
/ revelation OF posterity's needs and so
utions, be primitive and even tenta-
i've. Our duty will he met by making
he best and wisest beginning that may
,e made, bequeathing the bigger wcrk
0 bigger day and generation. Mr..
'annon may delay this beginning. He
las delayed much. He is an obstruc-
ionist, principally because he is quite
Without perspective. Sometimes, too,
le seems to enjoy displaying the au-
hority of little mindedness. But he is
leither q maker nor an aH-aaker Ct
history. Destiny is not going to shoot
off at variant tangent because of any
thing Joe Cannon can do or can pre-
vent being done. AS
But while newspapers affecting b
Iapprove the era of progressive Repub
licanism take delight in hammering
Uncle Joe 1t seems pertinent to recall
lanother instance in connection with the
fforts for river improvements A
5ear or more ago. when the sentiment
dig her deep through Dixie" was run
ling through dae Mississippi valley g
delegation OF representative citizens
having gone on to Washington. were
,avalierly informed by the chairman
If the rivers and harbors committee
hat they would be allowed ten OF
fifteen minutes Jo present their case
rhere were men IN that delegation o
Is big intellectual callber as the chair
nan OF the rivers and harbors commit
zee; and there were men who In the
public service had records OF achieve
nent superior to that OF the chair
mans. Nothing that Joe Cannon eyei
lid was mcre autocratic or downright
mpudent than the cursory manner
with which Theodore Burton waved
aside the gentlemen who had gone tC
Washington to secure the river anC
harbors committees interest in tn;
proposed deep waterway from the lakei
to the gulf. The enormity of the chair
mans offense was accentuated by tn,
fact that he was supposed to be q pro
gressive and learned statesman-on'
of our congressman who ocasionall!
reads book. And he still enjoys tha
reputatfon-sc much so, in fact, that h'
Is rumored to be the president-eleet'i
choice for speaker to succeed Cannon
II that is practicable; ii not that hi
will be made secretary OF state.
Cannon is criticised for championinl
the old system of river and harbor ap
preparations as an item of pOlitica
spoils and patronage, with nothing L
show for the money wasted excepting
the hog-tight political fences of thl
representatives from coast-ine con
gressional districts. Be that as il may
Tue newspapers that are enfiladini
| Cannon on this score viii find In tn,
scholarly Theodore Burton a represen
tatve who has never neglected The pc
litical advantages accruing from tn
expenditure of Uncle Sans none.
along the lines where Lake Erie's wal
ers lap Cleyeland's glistening sands
Mr.. Burton, having acQuiesced ans
profited by a system OF political sp 4
alton which Cannon approves an
iwould perpetuate, does not appear frOn
this distance to be any more OF mop
cr an augury for the future than doe
his braver, though blunteH colieagu
from Danyille. Illinois.
To be sure, il might be a splendli
thing TO bond Uncle Sam for something
like 500 millions for waterway improve
ments, but with such oostlyirons in tn
fire as the Philippines. Panama
ar undthe-world cruises, more bait.s
ships and the steadily infreaslng arm
OF officehoiders and last but not leasi
the enfeebled condition OF the ,reasar
well it's time TO hesitate,
Ribs Social Circles.
(DOd Castor IN Topeka Capital)
Topeka society. We regret TO note
..ssll .t,,e,.