The morning journal-courier., 1908-12-07
Monday, December :. 1908.
THE spEAKERsHp FIGHT.

THE spEAI<ERsHIP FIGHT.
 As the day approaches when the speaker of the next house of repre- sentatives will be selected, the fight against the candidacy of Mir Cannon for that office and the desperate efforts of the latter to further hls election fill the national capital with dlscordant sounds. There have been few, 1t is true, who have seen their way to de- clare that Mir Cannon will not be re- elected Present indications are that he will be, But those who realize most how seriously he has stood in the way of worthwhile legislation in the past, are those who are most desirous that he shall not continue to do so in the future, While it is possible to contest him they propose to wage strenuous warfare, employing every means at their disposal
 At this psychological moment Gov ernor Guild of Massachusetts has come out with one of the most scathing de- nunciations of MT. Cannon which has yet been made. The Bay State gov crnor takes no pains to hide his utter disgust over the high-handed auto cratic methods which the latter has displayed on every possible occasion He singles out two instances where the speakers influence and power in con. gress have been vitally wrong, namely as regards the national guard and the preservation of the forests 1t was be- cause of the procrastination of con- gross, made possible by Speaker Can non. that in the Spanish war, Governor Guild says, members of a Massachu- setts regiment of volunteers died They had not been provided with rifles capable of reaching the enemy when the enemy's Mousers and smokcless powder in them, was laying them low As for the forestry situation, Governor Guild says: Millions for the runways of tho irrigation streams of the west Not d cent for forest reserves at the head of New England rivers to save the water supply and water power of New England. And if the mills stop and the cattle slcken and the children die the guilt shall again be at the door not of the president, who has done his hest, not at the door or the national forester, who has given all his energy to prevent it, but at the door of--inish the parallel as you like"
 The crying shame of Cannon and Cannonism Is that what Governor Guild has pointed out as true as regards the rifles Of the national guard and the forests of New England is quite as true as regards any number of other matters of national concern, It is vital mat fer to the country at large whether Joseph Cannon shall be elected the speaker of our new congress Ills can. dldacy for that office deserves to be fought with the enthusiasm that Is born in the breasts of men who are true patriots. It s well worth the ef- fort to attempt to obtain pledge from every congressman not to support him. if only he can be defeated when con gress convenes.
 No matter how futile that attempt can be, It's results will certainly be worth while for, whatever congress decision, Joseph Cannon can never again he quite the dctatorial man he has been in the past, He must realize himself that, if he is again reelected speaker. his every act will be held up to the harsh criticism by voters of ev- cry party from now on. He can never be quite the man he has been. Those congressman who may elect him will look out for that for his actions from HOW on will reflect more directly than ever upon their judgment in choosing him their speaker.
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