The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-17
Conferred With Roosevelt and
Followed His Suggestions.
MENTIONS THE RULES.
Democrats Blamed Speaker
Reed, Then Did the Same.
Declares Representatives Al.
ways Control Speaker.

o0pl. III HIS lOnI
was full of visitors Wednesday after
noon and evening, thousands being
present at the opening of the Repub-
lican campaign. Special trains brought
bands and marching delegations.
Speaker Cannon was one of the chief
features of the rally. He arrived on
the afternoon train and entered the
auditorium after Bristow had been
speaking for short time and was not
yet well launched on his argument. A
sharp yell greeted Cannon and then
the welcome grew so noisy that Bris-
tow gave way for hiT> and he made a
short spicy address, mostly to the
farmers and nonpolitical in nature He
made a scorching arraignment Of
Bryan and his political enemies in and
out of his own party in the evening.
Cannon's chief argument was devoted
to a defense Of the tariff and his course
in the house. He warmly euiogized
Taft and Roosevelt.
Congressman Phil Campbell spoke
received and heartily applauded. He
provoked a burst OF laughter by re-
ferring to Bryan as the ''disappearless"
leader. Campbell argued for a Repub-
lican revision of the tariff and an in
dorsement of the Roosevelt admins
tration.
Five thousand persons listened 10
Mr.. Cannon discuss the issues of the
campaign.
He said that he had been accused
of being q stand patter." Two years
ago he and Congressman Campbell
of Kansas had a conference with
President Roosevelt and the president
insisted that then was no time to
bring on a tariff fight in congress;
that it should be STAYED off until con-
ditions were more favorable. He
(Cannon) helped to stave it off and
yet he is the only one to get the
blame. He continued:
THE foreigners don't pay any of
our taxes. They don't help us to keep
up our schools, and public institu-
lions. Then why should we let them
come in and share our profits of
who pay the taxes the inside track
on our trade. The Democrat plat
form wants to tear down the tariff
wall, which means that our labor
must suffer, also our agricultural and
comm ercial interest The Republi-
cans propose to adjust the tariff, cut
it down where it is now too high
but in doing so we viii fully protect
our own labor.
eve have had protective tariff ever
since the days of Lincoln, except for
four years, and you folks know what
happened in those four years" At
the night meeting Speaker Cannon
made a defense of the house rules,
| declaring the rules of the present
house has been substantially the rules
of the house under all parties for
more than two generations. Prior to
the Fifty-first congress it lay in the
power of the minority to indefinitely
| obStruct thetransaction of business by
| then refusing to vote on the
nays and then refusing to vote on the
call of the roll, thus breaking the
quorum.
''This condition of affairs" said the
| speaker. FINALLY became unbearable
and Speaker Reed inaugurated a
new practice On the call of the roll
when less than a quorum was dis
| closed for the purpose of making a
quorum the speaker counted present
all members present whether they
voted or not and directed that their
| names be entered upon the journal.
Because of this ruling Speaker Reed
was denounced as an autocrat, a
| tyrant and a car"
The Fifty second and Fifty-third
| congress which were Democrat had
| the same rules and the speaker,
Crisp. counted a quorum. Mr.. Can
non continued:
att is alleged in the Democrat ma
CloldA pA1 III u inc SA
| der the absolute domination of the
| speaker who has entire. control of
| its deliberations and powers of
| legislation. This is a bold demagogi-
cal misstatement of the fact. 1t is in
| the power of any member of the
| house, as a question of the highest
privilege at any time to offer a resolu-
ton deposing the speaker of the
| house and electing another in his
stead and if majority favor and
vote for the resolution the speaker is
| ousted from his office. He is the only
| officer of the government who can
| be so arbitrarily disposed Of Instead
| of the speaker being in control of the
house. the house is complete control
of the speaker. and without the sus-
tanning force of a majority of its
| membership he is powerless to in
| huence it's action