Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-10-22
CANNON s GREAT
UPHILL FIGHT
PUTS BLAME ON ROOSEVELT FOR
NEGLECT OF TARIFF
LEGISLATION.
DECLARES PRES. -ENT REFUSED
TO PERMIT REVISION DUR
ING HIS TERM.

uoWu mere, Uncle Joe" Is buster than
a local freight train, trying to retain
his seat in congress and his control
over the house of Representatives Mr..
Cannon, in the face of his advanced
age, is canvassing his district as if he
were making the race for the first
time, and none of the voters knew
him. He is holding small meetings
everywhere, and talking six or seven
hours day. He has made speeches in
halls and theaters, at cross roads, in
the shops, or wherever he could
gather an audience. Republicans here
abouts say that he is making the stiff
est fight to get back to congress he
has ever had to make in his long ca
reer. Not many persons in the district
will dare to say that Mr.. Cannon will
not be reelected. This district has a
normal republican majority of about
$500 and two years ago gave the
speaker about 10000 over his oppo-
nent.
His Eightee nth Race.
This is the eighteenth time Mr. Can
non has run for congress in this dis
trict. He has never been defeated but
once; that was in 1890. E. T. Busey, a
banker of Champaign, turned the
trick Busey has plenty of money,
and he turned it loose in the district.
He bought some country newspapers,
and got all the "fioaters' on his side.
He stayed in congress only one term,
when Uncle Joe" resumed the sue
cessiOn. They will tell you down here
that Mr.. Busey made only one speech
in congress. Rising to a question of
personal privilege, the new member
said: Mr.. Speaker, my name is Busey
not Bussey," and sat down.
When Illinois was redistricted, Mr..
Busey found that Champaign had been
cut out of this congressional district
and added to another. The political
history Of the state has not been since
concerned with the doings of the
Champaign banker. Mr. Busey was put
on blind siding, and has stayed
there.
The country outside of the district
will see very little Of Mr.. Cannon
this year. He will be kept busy at
home until election day, and maybe
longer.
Most people have got the erroneous
impression that this is an agricultural
district in Illinois. Here in Vermillion
more union labor votes than any other
district in Illinois. Here in VermilliOn
county alone it is estimated that
there are 10000 union working men.
All the trades in DanvilIe and in the
county, except the plumbers, are
strongly uniOnized. In town even the
retail clerks have an outside union or
ganization. In one county, one is told,
are 1000 coal miners, 1900 railroad
shopmen, 500 brick-makers, 500 train
men, and about 500 employees of the
interurban trolley system, all voters
and all members of unions. The trades
in DanVille and the employees of a
canning factory in the northern part
of the country bring the total up to
10000.
In one of his first speeches of the
campaign Mr.. Cannon made the frank
public confession that the union labor
vote in this county alone would spell
his defeat if cast against him In pre-
vious elections it has been noted that
Mr.. Cannon's vote was heaviest in
counties of the district where the la
Dor vote was strongest and weakest in
the agricultural sections.
Influences Hostile to Cannon.
The agencies making for Mr.. Can
mons defeat this year are the sullen-
ness of the workingmen and labor
unionists toward his candidacy, and
the active, open, aggressive and spirit
ed opposition of the Anti-Saloon
league, compromising the temper
ance vote generally, and of the Meth
odists and church people. The Metho-
dists, at their conferences and church
meetings, have denounced Mr.. Cannon
as an unfit and unworthy person to
represent the district in congress. The
league and temperance
people have gone further and are en-
deavoring, in the event of
their failure to prevent his
election, to keep him out of the
speakers chair. They have carried the
organized crusad against "Cannonism'
into other states. In Wisconsin
for congress are defending
the nomination of Taft by saying that
if the president had not dictated the
selection of the secretary of war it
would have meant the nomination of
Cannon. In other states, as has been
told, republican congressman are max
ing the fight for reelection on the
promise not to vote for Cannon for
speaker. So that, if the speaker wins
his fight here. he will have another
fight in Washington when the new
congress assemblies to retain his pre-
and power Tt is rather a
5reary prospect for a man full Of
wears. and Mr.. Cannon is not enjoying
It. His temper is not sweet. and his
homely philosophy has been shelved. |
Standing pat is not enough: he has !
been forced against the wall in
fight for MS political life.
The Speakers Opponents.
Clinton Bell of Clark county is Cd I
posing Mr.. Cannon as the nominee Of
The democrats. He is taking full adj /
vantage of the situation and the feel /
ng against Cannonism. IN substance. /