The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-11-26

SAYS He 10 Not Attempting to Dictate
to the House Of Representatives and
There Is No Present Need Of Fret
tina" About the Selection Of
spcaker-cites Examples Of Hasty
Action In Enactine Laws Demanded
BY Public Sentiment.
Washington. Nov. %. - Declaring
that there will be an honest revision
Of the tariff and that there is no pres
ent need Of "frettng' about the selec-
ton OF a speaker for the house In the
Sixty-frst congress. Speaker Cannon
arrived here from his home In Illinois
for the approaching session OF con
gress. He added TO the newspaper men
who greeted him that he believed that
the people would get the sort OF tarih
revision that they voted for.
Later he issued a statement IN
which no declared that be was not at
temptjng 10 dictate TO the house, ana
that through the system OF election
Of members the people were reason
ably certain OF having their views en-
acted into laws. Citing an example OF
hasty action leading TO a misinterpre-
tation OF public sentiment in regard 10
tariff bill, he expressed an opinion
that there would be no mistake maze
roxt summer I'm the rivisiOn OF the
tariff.
In his statement Mr.. Cannon said;
"Of course there will be an honest re-
vision of the tariff. We made the cam
naien on that issue. and every RepuO-
Iican member was elected with that
in view. Whoever is elected speaker OF
the next house must so perform MS
functions as to assist the views of the
RESPONSIBLE party in the house, striv-
ing TO carry out the will OF the peo-
nile who elected him. In over thirty
years experience in the house | nave
never seen the responsible political
marty go wilfully against what Is
thought to be the sentiment OF the
people. Mistakes have sometimes been
made. as in the case OF the wilson
hill enacted by the Democratic con-
gress. but | believe that the represen-
tatives in the house earnestly tried to
do what they thought the people want
ed They were misled by the nasty
Judgment passed on the Mckinley law
In 1890. and which would not In my
opinion have happened had the ke-
publicans had more time 70 explain
that bill on the stump
THE Republicans made no mistake
when they enacted the Dlngley law as
the long life-as the lives OF tarin
laws go-of that law shows. | believe
they will make no mistakes In the Dill
which they will enact next summer
with the concurrence of the senate and
the president.
"There is one thing Of which you
NAV be sure. Those representatives
will do their very best to perform
what the people want for they mus'
20 before the people In 1910 and &C
count for their acts. A senator &C
counts for himself once In six years,
president once in four years; but the
representative accounts once in Two
years. The speaker of the house has
a double accounting, to his constit
uents in his own district and to hi'
associates in the house who elect him
No representatives, and especially NJ
speaker, will fail to do everytnins
within his power to carry out the well
considered, constitutionally expressed
will of the majority of the people.
This is why believe that we shall
get the sort OF tariff revision the PEG
Die voted for. do not pretend Y
prophesy or dictate. 1t Is and shoui'
be beyond any mans power to dictat'
to the house of representatives.
merely speak from long experience ant
the teachings OF what believe to b.
, reason and common sense