The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-11-25
CANNON TALKS
Gives Out Statement Of His Position
on Revision

Washington, Nov. 25-Declaring that
there will be an honest revision of
the tariff and that there is no present
need of "fretting" about the selection
of speaker for the house in the sixty
first congress. Speaker Cannon ar
rived here from his home in Illinois
today 'or the approaching session of
congress. He added to the newspaper
men who greeted him that he believed
that the people would get the sort of
tariff revision that they voted for.
Later he issued statement in
which he declared that he was not
attempting to dictate to the house, and
that through the system of election of
members the people We're reasonably
certain Of having their views enacted
into law. Citing an example of hasty
action leading to misinterpretation
of public sentiment in regard to a
tariff bill, he expressed an opinion that
there would be no mistake made next
summer in the revision of the tariff.
The full text of Speaker Cannon's
statement is as follows:
"The election of speaker. for the
sfxty-first congress is yet a consider
able distance in the future. When that
congress is about to assemble-which
l presume will be some time in March
the Republican members of the
house of representatives will hold a
caucus, as has been the custom from
the foundation of the party, and select
a candidate for speaker, to be support
ed by the party at the organization
OF the house. / presume that the rep
resentatives will be perfectly compe-
tent to select their speaker. and | do
not see "ny present need for fretting
about III matter.
"Of course, there will be an honest
revision c. the tariff We made the
campaign on that isaue, and every Re-
publican member was elected with
that in view. Every one of those Re
publicans, without an exception will,
believe, strive to the best of his in
telligence and ability to attain the
tariff results desired by the people
who elected him. All will not have the
same viaws and each one cannot have
his own way altogether. There must
be mutual concession and compromise,
out of which will come the result
which, on the whole, is most accepta-
BILE or least Objectionable to all. That
is according to civilized and enlighten-
ed government. 1t is the barbarian
who expects to have everything his
own way without regard to his neigh
Dor. Whoever is elected speaker of
the next house must so perform his
functions as to assist the house in
arriving at the result which will best
represent the views of the responsible
party in the house, striving to carry
out the will of the people who elected
him. In over thirty years experience
in
party control, some time under the
other. have never seen the RESPONSE
BILE political party go wilfully against
what 1t thought to be the sentiment
of the people. Mistakes have some
times been made, as in the case of the
Wilson till, enacted by the Democra-
representatives in the house earnestly
tried to dc what they thought the
people wanted. They were misled by
the hasty judgment passed on the Nc
Kinley law in 1890, and which would
not in my opinion have happened had
the Republicans had more time to ex-
plain that bill on the stump.
"The Republicans made no mistake
when they enacted the Dingley law
as the long life-as the lines of tariff
laws go-of that law shows. l believe
they will make no mistakes in the
bill which they will enact next summer
with the concurrence of the senate and
the president.
There is one thing which you may
be sure. Those representatives will
do their very best to perform what
the people want, for they must go be-
fore the people in 1910 and account for
their acts. A senator accounts for him
self once in six years, president once
in four years; but the representative
accounts once in two years. The
speaker of the house has double ac-
counting, to his constituents in his
own district, and to his associates in
the house who elect him. No repre-
sentatives, and especially no speaker,
will fail to do every thing within his
power to carry out the we'll consid-
cred, constitutionally expressed will Of
the majority of the people.
"This is why believe that we shall
get the sort of tariff revision the peo-
pie voted for. / do not pretend to
prophecy or dictate. 1t ia and should
/ + ~