The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-17

rance poth have protective tariff,
Following, in way the present Aneri-
can idea.
1T is not now a question of shall
the tariff be revised. That has been
settled in the affirmative. The ques-
| ton is how shall it be done and by
Whom. 1t is a grave, a very grave
question and affects closely the indus
trial institutions and prosperity of this
entire country.
Relations of Coordinate branches.
The next issue is the powers and
relations of the executive, the Iegisla-
tive and the judiciary departments of
| this country which comprise all law
and order and government. Mr.. Bryan
! would give every man a trial even
| though he was only in contempt of
court or fleeing from the conse-
| quences of an Injunction This de-
mand for universal trial by jury Is
only a piece of dema agogery aimed at
| the Republicai platform plank on in
| functions Certain points of law must
| be passed upon by a lawyer sitting as
| judge, else we had better do away
! with our system of laws entirely be-
| cause of a few errors or cases of in
! justice arising from technicalities in
| the great mass of equity decisions.
| THE constitution has defined the
powers of these three departments of
| the government and their relations to
| each other. Mr.. Bryan is flying in the
face of the constitution in his attack
that is all.
Class Legislation.
'Class legislation is the third vital
| issue in this campaign. Mr.. Bryan's
stand on this question is such that it
| is hard to see where a man of sense
and justice can sincerely support him
for the highest office in the land. He
would enact trust legislation that
would affect only union labor organ
| izations and it's members and let the
! cf nf ha frxy n
his tariff stand he deals a blow at
! union labor for the benefit of the
farmer and the consumer and now by
| class legislation he would especially
the rest of the country. This is
demagogery, sir, and so long as 1
am speaker of the house 1 shall op-
pose any legislation that does not pro-
tect or affect every class OF people
in this country exactly alike.
"If I had my way these three vital
issues alone would form the basis of
the battle of 1908 for control of the
government of this nation between the
two parties. They are paramount and
should never be lost Sight of for one
instant nor any other issue or person.
ality be allowed to come between them
and the people. They concern the
welfare of this country too closely for
any trifling with any other thing at
this time.
Now" concluded Mr. Cannon, you
are not going to ring a chestnut bell
on me, are you?
Not if I will tell you about my
southern Kansas trip, eh? Well, there
is little to tell. had a splendid re-
ception down there on my first visit to
those people. I was greatly pleased to
speak in Mr.. CampbelPs district and
meet his people. The only bad feature
was the intense heat and dust. They
got up an old time jubilee political
rally at Independence and seemed to
have a good time. They erected a big
tent to accommodate the crowds, but
at that I did not see how all of them
were going to get within gunshot of
the speakers. The crowd swarmed the
streets during the parade by the thou
sands"
Not Talking About Himself.
Mr.. Cannon, while willing to speak
straight from the shoulder on any po-
liticaI issue or his record as speaker of
the national house, was averse to dis
cussing any personal matters at this
time, such as the fight made on him
by some Methodist bishops, by Com
pers and of the charges of being a re-
dictionary and a car. In his indie
pendence speech he answered the latter
charge as follows:
1T is alleged in the Democratic ma
tional platform that the house is under
the absolute domination of the speaker,
who has entire control of it's delibera-
tions and powers of legislation. This is
bold, demagogical misstatement of
the fact. 1t is in the power of any
member of the house, as a question of
highest privilege, at any time to offer
a resolution deposing the speaker of
the house and electing another in his
stead and if a majority favor and vote
for the resolution the speakers is GUST
ed from his office. He is the only Of
ficer of the government who can be so
arbitrarily disposed of. Instead of the
speaker being in control of the house,
the house is completely in control Of
the speaker, and without the sustain
ing force of a majority of its member
ship he is powerless to influence it's
action"
Mr.. Cannon does not speak from
manuscript nor does he commit his
speeches to memory. He talks as the
spirit moves him. and while he adopts
none of the tactics of the orator in
dipping into fiowery metaphors, he
makes a strong and forceful speech,
talking as one man to the other, per-
fectly frank, yet armed with
Irresistible logic, great natural