The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-07
cANNON'S CAUSE.
Remarkable Vindication of a Much
Maligned Man.


Speaker Cannon has received a re-
markable vindication, which is of much
satisfaction to him and his friends in
view OF the gross Misrepresentation
and abuse of him. The labor vote for
him was especially heavy and MANY
him were defeated or elected by re-
uuced figures. In this connection the
following from Charles Sessions,
Washington correspondent for Kansas
City Journal, is interesting and in
structive:
To the Editor of the State Journal:
In an editorial the other morning
the Capital attempted to show that the
election returns spelled a reputation
of Uncle Joe Cannon 1t urged and
even predicted his defeat for re-elec-
ton as speaker of the next congress.
In one paragraph the Capital editorial
said: 1.-The verdict of the country and
of his own party on Uncle Joe is very
plain spoken"
That paragraph is true, not as the
Capital intended it, as see it, but just
| the opposite. What are the facts?
In Kansas Uncle Joe was one of the
| issues.
Uncle Joe made a speech at indie
pendence, Kan. He was introduced
by Congressman Phil Campbell of the
Third district. Mr.. Campbell was re-
elected by a majority perhaps greater
than he received two years ago.
1 IL
He was introduced by Congressman
Dan Anthony of the First district. Mr..
Anthony was reelected by the largest
majority of any Kansas congressman.
| Congressman Reeder of the Sixth
Kansas district turned rabbit in the
closing days of his campaign and said
| he would not vote for Cannon again.
| The result: Reeder barely skinned
through at the election. His plurality
| is about 290.
L 90
Mo-. declared against Uncle Joe. Re-
suit: Ellis got fewer votes than any
other Republican on the ticket and
was overwhelmingly defeated.
Uncle Joe made two speeches in the
southwest Missouri district, which re-
suited in the Republicans capturing a
| congressman from the Democrats.
Morgan, Republican, defeated the
Democratic candidate.
Four congressman in Nebraska
| pledged themselves against Uncle Joe.
Three of them and perhaps all four,
according to dispatches, were over
whelmingly defeated.
The Capital says Adam Bede of
Minnesota was defeated for nomina-
| ton by the Republicans of his district
because of his attitude on Uncle Joe.
That may be true. Bede has always
been a free lance in congress, a So
called insurgent and opposed to Can
| non.
| The Capital says that Congressman
| Jenkins of Wisconsin, chairman of the
house judiciary committee. also met a
| similar fate for a similar reason
Everybody around congress knows
that Uncle Joe never had much use
| for Jenkins and that he would prob
ably have displaced him long ago as
| chairman of the judiciary committee,
| if it were not for the long established
precedent of seniority. jenkins was
| chairman of the committee when
Uncle Joe became speaker and was
| left there by precedent
And last but not least in the most
bitter campaign ever waged against
him in his home district Uncle Joe
comes up smiling with majority OF
] 10000, so the dispatches say-one OF
the largest majorities he ever re-
| ceived.
| 1t thus can be seen that "the YER
| dict of the country and of his own par
| ty on Uncle Joe is very plain spoken,
as the Capital says. but 1 do not put
| the same construction on that verdict
that the Capital does, nor do believe
the facts warrant the conclusions
which the Capital draws. l am very
fond Of the editor of the Capital, but
I can't draw the same deductions from
the election returns on Uncle Joe that
he does.
And 1 want to make one prediction:
Uncle Joe will be reelected speaker
| of the next house, If he is alive.
CHARLES H. SESSIONS.