The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-06-08
CANNON HOT SHOT,
Speaker Of the House RidicuIes
Uplift Movement.
"PURE ROT" SAYS. UNCLE JOE

Declares Former President Roose-
velt's Country Life Commission ls 6
"FIat FaiIure'-Has No Patience
With Attempt to Relieve Conditions
That Are Not Understood.
Speaker Joseph G. Cannon In a re
cent after dinner speech before the
national city planning conference In
Washington dealt some hot shot to
one of former President Roosevelt's
pet commissions and other curiosities
of the uplift movement.
The speaker took the following falls
out of the uplift:
Don't try to relieve conditions that
you don't understand"
This country life commission that
has been trying to uplift the poor
farmer with theories! I'll Hake oath
that they don't know what they are
talking about"
What they have compiled is pure
rot. The commission is fiat failure .
THE idle rich bear about the
same relation to the great mass Of
the American people that the fly on
the elephants trunk bears to the ele-
plant"
''The people who do the most harm
are those who give to what they call
charity either for notoriety or to bride
God"
''It is well enough to plan for the
future of this country" said Mr.. Can
non-"this country which is to have
500000000 Inhabitants in the years
to come. There are great many
things which can be done in planning
for those years, but no plans that we
In this generation can map out will
be big enough or broad enough to meet
the coming needs.
II bid godspeed to this planning
that you are working for. but for
heavens sake don't follow the exam
pie of some and try to relieve condi
tons that you don't understand. /
have no patience with those theorists
who are trying to relieve what they
are pleased to call the agricultural
section Of this country. There are
several excellent gentlemen on the
country life commission, but what they
have compiled is pure rot, If what 1
have read Of it is a fair sample. The
country life commission is a fiat fail
ure because it has dealt with condi
tons that didn't require dealing with
by theorists and because. its members
don't know what they are talking
about.
"Open the sensational newspapers
and the magazines and you win read
all about the activities OF the idle rich,
their foolishnesses and their fads.
They are of no real consequence. They
bear about the same relation to the
great mass of the American people that
the fly on the elephants trunk bears
to the elephant. but they give the
excuse for demagogues, who live not
by the sweat OF their faces, but by the
sweat of their tongues, to inveigh
against economic conditions existing
in this country. That is why they con-
stitute a real evil. Once In awhile
when other methods OF seeking noto-
riety have failed they declare them.
selves to be friends Of the people and
proclaim themselves to be Socialists.
II don't regret immigration. would
not be here If 1t wasn't for that. I'd
be scattered over the continent Of Eu.
rope. There'd be little Of me in the
Low Counties, mite In France, por-
ton In Ireland, some more in England
and Scotland. The great bulk of our
immigrants live by the sweat Of their
faces. and any one who does that Is
worthy TO be given recognition In this
country Of ours"
Mr.. Cannon paid a high tribute OF
respect and admiration to Mrs. v. G.
Simkhovitch Of New York, a settle
ment worker, whose work centers In a
block in New York city street in
which more than 1000 persons live,
Mrs. Simkhovitch spoke in quiet but
effective manner Of her labors In this
congested district. where the work Of
the settlement worker Is 90 often beset
with trials that demand forbearance
and endless patience.
The speaker found every reason to
believe that the world Is growing bet
ter each day and deprecated the exist
ence OF pessimists whose chief mission
Is to Haunt discouragement before the
eyes OF the public.