Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-30
DENOUNCES HIS ACCUSERS
Declares That He Didn't Pack Judi
ciary Committee.
ASSERTS MAJORITY CONTROLS
Contends That the Speaker Could
Not Prevent Consideration Of
Measure Desired by the
House.

DANVILLE. ILL.,. October 3O-Speaker
Cannon this morning. at the request of
Rev. F. NJ. Bristol, bishop of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, addressed to him
an open letter in answer to the question
put to the Speaker: Did the Speaker pre-
ent the House from taking vote on the
Littlefield bill?''
Mr. Cannon in his letter said:
81 did not prevent the House from con-
,idering the Littlefield bill or voting upon
t, and l will add that I had no power
to prevent the House from doing either.
for. as Mr.. Littlefield says in his letter
to me. dated September - there are no
rules. there is no committee on rules and
there is no Speaker that can prevent a
majority of the House from taking up
any measure and acting upon it at any
time
I'm the first session of the Sixtieth Con-
gress the Littlefieid bill was not reported
from the COMMITTEES on judiciary. The
Speaker had no power to compel that
committee to report tnat or any other
bill referred to it under the rules, or to
prevent the committee from reporting any
bill over which it had jurisdiction. The
committee not having reported the bill
the Speaker, as a matter of course. did
not prevent the House from considering
1t or voting upon it.
Consideration Not Moved.
No motion was ever made in the
House to take up that bill for consider
alton, nor was any recognition asked for
that purpose. 1t was in the power of
any member of the House, if he had with
him majority, by raising the question
of consideration to have brought the Lit
tlefield bill before the House for action,
and it was not in the power of the Speak
er to prevent action.
Il have said in my speeches-and l re-
peat it to you-that the bishops of the
Methodist Church were misled by agents
who either willfully or ignorantly made
untruthful reports to them.
The Rev. A. Baker of Columbus. Ohio,
is the general superintendent of the Anti
Saloon League. l have not the honor of
his acquaintance and do not remember to
have ever met or seen him. The Rev. Mr..
S. L. Nicholson is the legislative super
intendent of the Anti-Saloon League in
Washington. I have met him. These two
men seem to be responsible for the mis-
statements that have been circulated. The
league and the churches which employed
these agents had right to the truth, but
they did not get it from them
They both state that as Speaker
packed the judiciary committee to pre-
vent the report of the Littleheld bill, and
specify particularly that l did not reap
point in the Sixtieth Congress Represent
ative Pearre of Maryland to the commit
tee on judiciary for the reason that he
favored the Littlefield bill.
Denounced as Falsehoods.
Each and all are falsehoods. deliberate
falsehoods which have been repeated m
the face of denials from the Speaker, Mr..
Littlefield and republican members of the
judiciary committee.
THE Rev. Mr. Nicholson over his own
signature published statement that the
Littlefeld bill was favorably reported to
the House during the first session of the
Fifty-ninth Congress; that the Speaker
promised Mr.. Littlefield If he would let
it rest on the calendar until after the con-
gressional elections of 1906 he should
have recognition to call it up at the be-
ginning of the second session of that
Congress. To show the utter untruthful-
ness of this statement it is only neces-
sary to say (and | believe | have men
toned it above) that the Littlefield bill
was not reported until the second session
of the Fifty-ninth Congress. or, to be 'spe-
cific, on January p, 1907. within five
weeks of the close of that Congress, and
three months after the congressional cleo
tions of 1906 The Rev. Mr.. Nicholson is
either an agent who suesses at what he
ought to know or he deliberately lied.
Il have never courted war with the
Methodist Church or its leaders. l know
it's power for good and | have had some
experience in this campaign with the
power of Misrepresentation when it finds
lodgment in the minds of the bishops and
is mistaken for truth.
(Signed) j. G. CANNON"
A. E. Shoemaker's Comment
Legislative Superintendent Nicholson is
not in Washington at present, being en-
gagged in work as state superintendent of
Pennsylvania.