The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-09-19

what I write unless he is interested in reading it
More than half of my time since 1896 has been given
to gratuitous work and yet have been able to sup
port myself and accumulate property which | would
estimate at about $125,O0O but as can never &C
curatey say what property IS worth until he sells it.
7 will fix $15OOOO as the outside limit of my wealth.
and I willing to leave the Pubhc to determine
whether that is than | ought to have earned
or whether [ have earned it honestly. And now
having answered the criticism of Mr.. Cannon and
shown that his accusation is false, think | am
justified in asking him to be frank with the public
| have been.
In 1861 when Mr. Bryan was year old, Mr..
Cannon commenced holding office and during forty
of the intervening fory-seven years he has been
the public pay roll During thrty-five of the forty
years he has drawn the salary of congressman.
Public pay had been his visible of support dur
ing all these years and Mr.. Bryan believed the people
would be interested in knowing what else he had
been doing to acquire what he possessed in addition
to the savings from his salary.
Would Mr.. Cannon, enquired Mr.. Bryan, tell the
public what he had been selling, to whom he had
sold it and how much had he got for it? Mr.. Bryan's
reasons for asking the questions were stated:
Being the third man in influence in our government
coming next to the vice president, if not above
the vice president in his power to influence legisa
on is it not fair that he should apply to himself the
same rule that he applied to and take the public
into his confidence? Let him let us know how much
he is worth and how he made it. If he thinks that
the wealth of presidential candidate and the
of such a candidates income should be known, will
he deny that the speakers wealth and his of
income should be known?
Mr. Cannon will not exhibit the frankness of the
democratic candidate He will not tell how much he
is worth and how he got it, for the millions of his
reputed fortune were not earned Much of it is per
cent and much of the rest nobody knows what 1t
has been said that a man living in glass house
ought to indulge in the stone throwing game
and Mr.. Cannon renews the truthfulness of the OBJ
servation.
Apart from his little mix-up with Mr. Bryan there
other matters that will deeply concern Mr.. Can
His congressional and his speakership
not progressing with comforting assurances of
success.
While the active temperance forces are pursuing
him in every congressional district of the country
determined prevent his reelection to the speaker
ship of the house of representatives the forces of
labor are attacking him in his own Illinois district.
Late last week, President Gompers, of the Amer-
can Federation of Labor, reported to the executive
council of his organization that prospects very
encouraging for the defeat of Mr.. Cannon's re-eec-
ton. mot only" said Mr. Gompers, us the labor
element opposed to him, but the reform element in
general is actively antagonizng the return of Mr.
Cannon to the house"
If Mr.. Cannon can be defeated in his strong repub-
lican district, which has been considered good for
10000 majority, other congressman are likely to
counter the fate, for the causes that are prevail
ing against him will affect the official future of
majority of his republican congressional associates