The morning journal-courier., 1908-09-09
THE srrAkERsHlp.

thss SffANNt's-tffA'
 Anti Cannon -itis, anti-Joe Cannon itls, Is spreading over the country like an epidemic, Mir Bryan and Mr' Kern have each had their little fling at the veteran speaker from panvillc, but he bobs mp again, like one of the proverbal summer-resort dodgers smiling and happy Whether MT Can non will continue to he az happy Is question highly prohematical The democratic candidates would be pleased, could they make MT, Cannon an issue of the campaign, but they cannot The speaker Is himself re- celving frosty treatment at the hands of the Taft followers, In the west, where Mir. Roosevelt has been more idolized than in the east, MT. Cannon as persistent opponent or Rooseveltian Legislation, Is in especial dlsfavor. In many republican con gresslonal districts in the west to-day there are movements on foot to pledge candidates against voting for Mir. can non as speaker of the house for an other term, If they are elected.
 But Mir, Cannon's troubles are not ended there. The announcement Of the republican congressional commit tees campaign has brought forth an other storm of protest. This cam palgn will simply attempt to bring about the election of republican con gressmen favorable to MT Cannon as speaker To-day there are many local | republican committees that are spar Ing no pains to make it perfectly clear that they do not want MT, Cannon, or any of his associates to come to l them to take part in their coming re- publican campaign Then. too, Mir. Cannon himself must secure his own reelection In his own congressional district, the eighteenth Illinois. That district Is being stirred from end to end by the efforts of the opposition to effect his defeat. No argument Is re-
 jected to bring that about, even his
 well known perversity for cusswords
 having become an issue.
 The present troubles with the
 speaker In the house will not be elim.
 mated with the selection or rejection
 of Mir Cannon al the time of the nex
 session of congress. It is quite as pos
 sible that any other man as speaker
 of the house could and would become
 quite as dictatorial. For these req
 sons Mir. Cannon cannot be made
 national campaign Issue. The troubl
 is not SO much in Mir. Cannon as II
 the speakership. IL Is because th
 rules which create speakershlpsf ar at fault that. as the Washington Her aid has said, the office Is second Il ; power and influence only to that q , the president. and that. az the Spring field Republican observes to unsea 2 speaker has become as difficult a , to amend the constitution.
 s The time was when the cry wa . for a larger house of representative
 The larger house has come, but wit ]; it has developed this grave problei ' of the speakership. One solntio | would be to decrease the number ( . congressman. The constitution prt !. vides that the speaker shall be electe q by the house At times lt has seen i. cd that an officer of such erbltrai !. powers should be elected by a dire e vote of the people, That would Q another solution. still others may il offered They will be hastened. at ar II rate. hv the present shifting of 1T 10 searchlight of public opinion upon II l. regrettable details of the speakersh d as at present constituted. For th |. reason the present prominence of N 10 Cannon should be source of satl D. faction to all good citizens.