The morning journal-courier., 1908-08-14
THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.

GthEsIt VT tOtSB.
Twice on Wednesday did Gear" Can
non, the speaker OF the house of rep
resentatives, take the center OF the
stage as the target for bitter attacks.
One shaft was shot by Mr.. Bryan from
Lincoln; the other by temperance ad-
vocates at Baltimore. They come so
close upon the widespread condemna-
ton of Speaker Cannon's arbitrary ac-
lions in connection with the recent
forest reserve and currency reform
bills In congress that there may prop
erly be no little interest to see whether
the attack upon him as whole will
have gained cumulative effect or
whether the car will turn up again
unscathed and smiling like one of the
proverbial dodgers at the shore re-
sorts
Mr., Bryan named the present mighty
power of the speaker of the house OF
representatives as the third, and per-
haps the most important. OF the three
"instrumentalities employed to defeat
the will of the people" as he calls
them, He pointed out that the house
was designed by our fathers to be 'the
popular branch of government, respon-
sive to the peoples will" and he spared
no pains In complaining that we are
far from that under the present ex-
tended powers OF its speaker.
What the Temperance society OF the
Methodist church had to say about
Speaker Cannon may be of special con-
Germ in New Haven now because OF the
convention being held here of the cor
responding organization Of the Catholic
church. Since the society was created
by the direct act of the Methodist gen.
eral conference, in which are repre-
scented over 100000 communicates. its
views should come with special force.
1t is not often advisable for a religi-
GUS organization TO mix into political
matters In such way, but, when one
does It may be presumed to have good
provocation.
An official address was delivered to
the society In Baltimore, and copies OF
1t have been sent to all members Of
the denomination, in which the unquali-
fed and forceful statement is made:
THE speaker Of the national house o.
representatives absolutely controls its
procedure" The special complaint OF
the temperance advocates arises over
the way In which the so-called ship.
ment bill has been summarily shelved
time and again by the speaker. The
bill has been pending In congress for al
least five years. 1t does not seek tc
impose temperance by duress upon any
locality that does not want It but sim
ply to make 1t federal crime to shlr
intoxioants into districts that have
gone on record at the polls for prohibit
ton. The merits or dement's of thu
particular bill need not be discussed
t in this place The important fact re
mains that here Is another class o
citizens, not given to bringing unde
served charges, who have bone Il
! pick" with the speaker. They can take
! their place with the lumbermen, VIII
: sought forestry legislation, and finan
ciers, who sought currency reforms
They all are not so much incense,
against Mr.. Cannon because the bills
in which they were so much interested
failed of passage as they are becaus
the bills were unquestionably side
tracked In high-handed manner,
Voters of all parties must be agree
. that change in the powers of tn,
speaker must be mad, whether tina
speaker is Mr., Cannon or not. Ferhap
4 it has been quite as much the hous
rules of procedure that may be blame,
for what has happened as Mr.. Canno
himself. A change is needed an
needed badly For Mr., Taft to advo
vuCil16 MT bp a oil en- Ia
Mr.. Bryans thunder. Mr.. Taft's ar
peals for the rights of all in the court
=. have made him many friends. II
would simply be carrying out the sam
arguments In another field. The re
form must come, whichever the part.
and whoever the sneaker.