Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-16


1 would destroy myself.
Well he said, "a man with your
great experience might well be pres
ident and this great publishing in
terest has access to the people every
day
'I said: DO not repeat that again;
it falls upon ears that carry the news
to the brain, and that news is hui
initiating to good manhood Then
came the ernative-anathema ma
ranatha. 1 should go into space. My
reply was, if 1 should go into space
would go an Independent atom,
with my own self respect. I have
not been popular with Brother Rid
der since that time and 1 have not
been popular with most of the met
ropolitan press. I except the coun-
try press.
Bryan is an acute man. He was
to be the candidate for the presi-
dency and Mr.. Ridder went to him
Mr.. Ridder, who thought so much Of
my prospects for the presidency
helped frame his platform, became
his treasurer, and boosted that he
had given a large amount to the cam
paign fund. What happened? That
platform Of Bryan proceeded to re-
solve that the house had ceased to
be a deliberative body, that the
speaker was car, and that the car
had to be put down.
"He was aided by Brother Gompers
the head Of the Federation of Labor,
who did not get in the republican
platform, what he wanted, which
was class legislation to except his
people from the antitrust law which
covers the other citizens of the re-
public. For one I say there will be
no class legislation by my vote while
people of my district. Let there be
equal laws that apply to everybody,
rich and poor, great and small.
But Bryan wrote 1t in his plat
form. That pleased Gompers.
Then, as 1t happened, a man who
was either ignorant or dwelt in false
hoods do not know which-who
was at the head of the national anti
saloon movement, said that Cannon
was car; he could pass what he
chose, and that he had prevented the
passage of the Littlef1eld bill. He
deceived many of the good bishops OF
the church of which 1 am a brother
in-law, and of which my wife was a
devoted member in her lifetime.
Some of them Numbered. 1 do
not blame them. l am not critics.
ing them. They thought it was so,
but I think they have learned sub
sequently that it was not so. The
conferences Numbered.
"Other churches Numbered, and,
under the inspiration of Ridder and
Gompers, and under the inspiration
of these people who had been misin-
formed, they went to men who were
candidates for congress and told
them they must pledge themselves
against voting for Cannon for speak
er-that they must pledge them
selves to change the rules, the
growth, as Mr.. Sterling has said, of
120 years.
Goes Home to Fight.
81 had to cancel one-half of my
engagements for the national cam
paign and go to my district. 1 had
not canvassed it thoroughly for eight
years. l went into almost every
township and looked into the faces
of my good Methodist friends and the
other good people and said This
statement is untrue. 1 did not throt-
tie and had no power to throttle the
consideration of any bill
Mr.. Littlefield, the author of the
bill, who is now out of congress, a
truthful and strong man, on his own
volition, being solicited by Bishop
Hamilton, who wanted to know the
facts about it wrote the letter which
was published throughout my dis
trict, saying 1t was not true. Then
these same people attacked Mr.. Lit
tIefield. To make a long story short,
considering the increase in the vote
in my district, 1 was elected by the
usual majority of 5000 in round
numbers.
Nov we have revised the tariff.
While 1 am speaker 1 am also a mem
Der of congress, and introduced a res
olution, as had a right to do, creating
a special committee to investigate the
print paper matter. I appointed James
r. Mann chairman. He is an industri-
Gus member Of congress and one of
the best Legislators in the house.
His committee examined the matter
with great care and made their report
and recommended that the duty of Sc
a ton on print paper be reduced to 50.
I have great confidence in Mr.. Mann;
the ways and means committee of the
house had great confidence in him, and
in the tariff bill which they reported
and as it passed the house, the duty
on print paper was placed at 81 per
ton. The bill went to the senate.
RecOunts Print Paper Fight.
There are ten states which are en-
gagged in the print paper industry. That
is 20 senators out of 90. 1t had to be
compromised If the senate ever came
together, and those 20 senators repre-
senting the print paper industry in
sisted that 81 was not protective. do