The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-10-28
FEDERATION OF LABOR
IS IMPORTANT FACTOR
Car of the House Has a Fight of
His Life and Will Be Exceedingly
Lucky to Save His Political Scalp
This Time.

DdHNlile, Ill, OclODer Zo-l MS III |
tie Illinois city is now the center of
a political contest which, in the opin-
ion of thousands of Americans. is of
even greater Importance than the
Presidential election. Fof just one
week from today will be decided not
only whether Taft or Bryan shall &C.
cupy the White House, but whether
Joseph G. Cannon will continue to
rule the House of Representatives or
be retired to private life.
The last week of the campaign will
be strenuous one, and both sides
tory. The American Federation of
Labor has come to the support of
Cannon's Democratic opponent, and
Samuel Gomper's and other leaders
of the labor movement have delivered
addresses in the Danville district call
ing upon all friends of unionism to
rally to the movement for the over
throw of Cannon. Charges and
counter charges have been hurled at
Cannon and his opponents and the
last week of the campaign will likely
develop even more sensational fea-
lures. Denounced as a Gear" and
"hireling of monopoly" by his enemies,
and lovingly referred to as honest
Uncle Joe" by his friends, the speaker
pays little heed to friends or foes. but
puffs his big cigars in apparent COM
placent certainty of his reelection.
The last time he presented himself
for reelection, Uncle Joe" received
nearly $4,000 votes, as compared
with less than 1900 cast for his
opponent, and there is reason to be-
lieve that his neighbors would today
give much the same sort of verdict
if they concerned themselves only
with what Mr. Cannon has done as
the Representative of the Eighteenth
Illinois district, but national issues
have been brought in and grated on
the local situation, and the burning
question is to what extent these con
siderations will influence the commu-
nifty that has long been standing be-
hind the rugged campaigner for
third of a century. If he should suffer
defeat at the polls next week the eX-
perience would not be for him an alb
solutely new one. Only once, how
ever, has his long career in Congress
been interrupted, and that was in 1890
He has served II terms, or "a years.
Many who are not familiar with To-
cal conditions in the six counties
which Mr.. Cannon represents in Con-
gress are prone to think him as an
old-time farmer representing an old
fashioned farmer constituency. His
personal appearance and manner of
speech have encouraged such belief.
Any such conception, however, con-
veys a wrong impression of the situa-
ton. There are, to be sure, thou
sands of farmers-and very prosper.
GUS farmers among the quarter of a
million people whose public servant
his chief source of strength is in the
cities and towns rather than in the
rural districts. A representative ex
ample of these communities is Dan
vile, where he maintains his persona
residence and central political garri
son. Danville is an important juno
ton point for steam and electric in
: terurban railways, and has railroad
repair shops, lumber mills and facto
ries of various kinds. In the imme
that give employment to more thar
two thousand miners. All the trade:
represented are we'll organized, ant
indeed Danville is a hotbed of trad'
= unionism. The hard fighting which
has been forced on Congressman Can
non this year has had the effect o
inducing him to spend more of hi
time at his Danville home. In Ger
tain previous campaigns he has fel
, district so well in hand that he coul'
swing around the circle and do III
t tie missionary work for some of hi
5 colleagues or for the national ticket
but this autumn he has devoted him
, self theoretically to the task of keeI
ing his own political fences in repair