Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1908-10-22

SooS Ihe nlSnt saying, present W
you our watchman in the national con-
gress and bid him tell how goes the
night, Mr.. Hamilton:
Is An Optimist.
The speaker in voice made
hoarse from hard campaigning ex.
pressed his appreciation of the re-
ception given him by the people who
turned out in numbers crowding the
nall and rocking the structure with
vociferous calls and hurrahs for Ham
llton and Bryan. Il regret that my
voice is not better that / might talk
10 you long and serious of the ques-
uons that we are compelled to meet
during this campaign and that you
and l must settle November 8. My
friends, ! appeal to your patriotism,
not your partisanship and ask you to
consider we'll before you express your
choice at the polls. Consider the in
terest of the community rather than
that of party. Remember that Demo
Gratis. Republicans, Socialists, Pro-
hib1tlonists, etc., are each as honest
and Intelligent as the other. When
man says that the honest men are
all Of one party, while all other parties
are rogues,. he is narrow and not honest
In his convictions. Now believe that
the people desire an honest discus
sion of the issues before them rather
than an appeal to their prejudices
without regard to their duties of cit
tzenship. We think we are living un-
der a representative government, that
when the people speak the govern
Lot l,,Ir -,
divtdually not collectively. | believe
in the patriotism and citizenship of
the American citizen, that while he
may be led for timer by the dema-
gogue, he will finally settle down to
the. right methods. | am an optimist,
but friends, not of the type that can
not see anything wrong in his govern
ment. Not the type that will say al
ways. come on all is we'll, there is
nothing wrong that needs attention.
| am not that kind of an optimist but
of the kind that says il there is some
thing wrong our people are intelli-
gent enough to right it and will not
let prejudices political or otherwise
thwart its proper righting. We think
we have representative government
er Of the house of representatives we
have not. We have an autocracy in
stead This is not the verdict OF
Democrats alone but of several Repub-
licans as well and can show many
instances of this autocracy TO both
parties.
Cannon the Boss.
IF | rise to be recognized on a
bill or seek to present one the speak
er says, for what purpose does the
gentleman from Iowa wish to speak?'
If say that want the wood pulp
on the free list the speaker says |
cannot recognize you on this question
and l have to SIT down. If don't sit
down. the sergeant-at-arms will make
me do so, even though the president,
MI. Roosevelt wishes the measure to
go as | do. If I want to introduce a
bill | must go to the private office
of Speaker Cannon and if the measure
suits him | can get the bill to com
mittee, if not it dies at the Office of
the speaker Now some few Repub-
licans of the house have at times turn
ed insurgent and fought for the sus-
pension of the rules that their meas
ure, which happened to be out of har-
mony with committee on rules, might
get to the floor of the house. What is
their punishment? They are told
that if they insist in their action they
will not be given the chance to get
bill before the house, and some espec-
ial act in the interest of their con-
stituency, perhaps bridge, post office
or pension will be killed forthwith
and perhaps they will be removed
from committee. The committee on
rules is composed of three Republ-
cans and two Democrats. They di-
rect legislation and make the rules
to suit them regardless of the bal
ance of the members. They and not
the people or the peoples represen-
tatives are the government. Murdocl1
of Kansas and Davidson of Minnesota,
both Republicans can testify to this.
One of those members of the commit
tee on rules is Jim Sherman, of New
York, the candidate for vice president
on the Republican ticket. Mr. Sher-
man is one of the most able men in
the house of representatives but my
friends when we are told that Sher-
man will uphold the principles of
Roosevelt, it is a great mistake. Vote
for him and you will uphold the arms
of the president so high that he will
not be able to bring them down. The
last congress had a majority of fifty
five members in the house, sufficient
to put on or take off the statute books
any law they wished. Did they hold
up the hands of Roosevelt and sup
port his principles in the last session?
Will they do the same for Taft?
Sherman is a great man but he is
member Of the big four in the house
and not in sympathy with things
Roosevelt. You will have to vote
right in order to abolish this auto
cracy.
"Mr. Kendall criticizes me for vot-
ing against the publicity bill. There
is method in that criticism. Mr.. Ken
dali knows the facts but he would
throw dust in your eyes. I voted
against the publicity bill but not the
bill that was originally SO titled. The
bill Matched up by speaker Cannon was
tn