Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-04-09
How the People We're Beaten

How the People We're Beaten
March seventeenth the Philadelphia
North American (Republican) said
editorially:
Joseph Cannon OF Illinois has been
reelected Speaker of the House OF
Representatives. The old vicious
rules have been readopted with only a
few cheating amendments. His power
has hardly been diminished at all,
for he will again appoint all COM
mlttees and again pack them for or
against measures. He a control the
committee on rules, and can inter
pose his own arbitrary will against
the reforms planned by President
| Taft and demanded by the general
public. And all these things have
been done with the tacit sanction OF
President Taft"
1t was not the speaker Of the House
of Representatives on Monday, March
the fifteenth. 1t was Special Priv
ilege. That victory means hundreds
of millions OF profit to privilege.
1t was not the little band of coura-
geous independent Republicans who
we're beaten. 1t vas ninety millions
of people. They lost all the Special
Privilege gained that day.
Many things we're demonstrated.
The record OF that day needs to be
closely studied. 1t discloses the re-
serve strength OF Standard Oil, United
States Steel, the Railroads, the Beet
Trust and all the organized power en-
trenched In Special Privileges; not In
one party alone but in both parties.
And still, the people might have
won. The fight was both against
Cannon and against the old rules, I'M
der which the Speaker appoints the
committees. II a speaker appoints
committees that will consider, perfect
and report bills in the public interest,
no injurious results would follow the
adoption of the old rules. But If a
Speaker represents Special Privilege, he
can so pack the cammittees as to con-
troll legislation against the public in
terest.
4llC1O VClC WV SAA0AlSOo " "a
people to win. First, to defeat Can
non or falling in this, to defeat the
adoption Of the old rules, and deprive
the Speaker OF all power to appoint
committees.
The independent Republicans had
t%wenty-nine votes, a sufficient num-
Der to win on either or both PROPOSE
lions unless Democrats deserted
and came OF the support of Cannon
or the rules. 1t would be political
suicide for any Democrat to desert
the candidate of his party for Speaker
and support Cannon. But Democrats
might desert their party organization
and vote to adopt the old rules, with
amendments making a pretence of
some improvement but preserving to
the Speaker all power to control
legislation. Upon such a PROPOSE
ton, under cover Of a pe%ttifogging
discussion Of parliamentary technical
lities, the issue might be so obscure
as to leave renegade Democrats some
to confuse and mislead
their constituents.
The represen tives Of Special Priv
ilege then cunningly devised the fol-
plan: The independent Rep
ublicans, or enough Of them to insure
Cannons' election were to be per-
suaded back into the fold upon the
ground that fealty demanded that
there should be no repudiation Of
Cannon caucu nomination; that II
Cannon YER defeated there would be |
a protracted contest and business |
interests demanded prompt revision
Of the tariff; that they could make
their record good with their constit-
uents even II they voted for Cannon
for Speaker II they afterwards voted
a gainst the adoption of the rules.
This was reinforced by appeals from
the President, and members Of his
cabinet, and it is said that some pro-
gressive senators were urged to lab
or with insurgent representatives from
their states. 1t was represented that
the election OF Cannon could do little
real harm If he were thereafter shorn
of his power to appoint committees by
the independent Republicans against
the adoption Of the old rules.
Seventeen Of the twenty-nine inde-
pendent or insurgent Republicans
At the same time, and as a
part Of the same plan, Special Priv
Ilege had arranged for a sufficient
vote joined with the over
Republican vote upon which
Il could rely, to insure the adoption of
the old rules, clothing the Speaker