The Topeka state journal., 1908-05-19
that it would be voted on and surely

The writer is convinced that GER
tain of these congressman did not
want the bill to come up; they pre-
tended to be in. favor Of it and said 1t
was Speaker Cannon who kept them
from voting on it. That was not
wholly true. They were cowaros'
some Of them. and they have been
towards up to this writing. If fifty
of those eighty congressman had
simply stated to the. speaker that
they wanted that bill before that
house, come it would, and every
mothers son of them knows that 1t
would. Those eighty congressman,
fifty Of them even, controlled it and
they knew they controlled it, but it
was easier to throw the responsibility
on Speaker Cannon.
The writer did not go to Washington
"to expose the paper trust" or air
newspaper troubles" but being there
was simply dragged into the contest
and did the best we could as any one
would under the circumstances. We did
not go to Washington to see the speak
er, nor did we call on him to discuss
the tariff on paper or the Stevens bill.
Congressman Anthony and Madison OF
this state steered the writer up to the
speakers room before he was aware of
it. He was not familiar with the
labyrinths and corridors of the nation
al capitol and before he knew it he
was in the speakers ante-room and the
speaker invited the three into the inner
chamber and we had a nice, quiet. mild,
gentle line of conversation until Con-
gresham Anthony changed the subject
and said I was interested in the re-
moval of the tariff on paper and pulp.
There we're, other bigger. abler
newspaper men in charge of the work
and did not seek to "butt in" but
was "butted" in. t-'@ ~
I demonstrated saying: "Mr- Speak
er, did not come here to talk on that
subject, nor did I intend to discuss it
with you." but the speaker thereupon
insisted he wanted to say few things
and he said them. He also said a
good many other things which were
intensely interesting and entirely ut to
print, as indeed every word which was
said by any one during the whole half
hour was suitable for publication with
possibly one exception. Congressman
Anthony and Congressman Madison
heard the whole conversation and
they will support me am sure, :.
From what had heard about
"Uncle Joe" I had expected that near
ly every other word would be an ex-
plosive, politely represented in this
and other family newspapers by
dashes, but waited and waited and
during the whole time heard, but a
single oath and that was used in a
connection which might make a
preacher swear" and was merely a
| strong adjective which the ordinary
| vocabulary seemed somewhat deficient
in meeting that particularly exasperat-
ing case referred to by the speaker.
| Uncle Joe was as gentle and pleas
ant and yet as forceful and emphatic
at times as the vigorous man he is,
could be. In discussing a few phases
Of the. newspaper situation the writer
took a hand and gave the speaker the
best he could hand out and about
which Mr.. Anthony coolly said after
wards: "You certainly gave 1t to him
| cold" I had to. He started it and
| he was fully warranted in starting it..
| But we parted good friends, l think,
with more or less respect for the 9TH
er's position.
Speaker Cannon has been mighty
good to Kansas. Does the reader know
| that with one forty-ninth Of the men,
bership of the house Kansas has one
eighth Of the committee chairmanships
Scott. chairman on the very important
committee Of agriculture; Miller chair
| man Of committee on claims, and that
Is very important committee involv-
| ing millions of dollars Of expenditures
Reeder, chairman of committee on irri-
cation; Calderhead, one Of the ranking
members on the ways and means COM
mittee, equal to or better than chair
manship; Murdock on the Important
postoffice committee, On which he is
doing splendid work. But these are
other stories.
| During this visit In Washington a
conference was held one might at the
White House between President Roose-
velt, and Speaker Cannon and when
| two such forcefu1 characters get to-
gether, 1.-The. fur Is sure to f1y." It is
not known. that is publicly known, just
what happened, but it was whispered
around the corridors Of my hotel that
night that beautiful time was had"
in which the president and the speaker
exchanged notes and things and the
speaker came across on some things,
the president probably conceding a few
less. At any rate at the closing hours
of this session Of the congress num-
ber of things are apparently coming to
pass. resulting in measures that the
president urged in his messages were
necessary.
A few. men in congress do the big
part of the work and they are not
drones either. The leaders in congress
are hard worked men, as the leaders
L L. IL