The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-08-13
SAYS PLEDGE|s kept
JOSEPH CANNON IN "A CHARAC.
TERISTIC INTERVIEW.
Claims That the Tariff Law Will
Prove Satisfactory; "Proof of the
Pudding Is in the Eating, Not to
Be a Chautauqua Attraction and
Not Ready to Retire From the
Congress; His Remarks.


While in Chicago the other day
Speaker Joseph Cannon gave out one
of his characteristic interviews which
reads thusly:
"The proof of the pudding is in the
eating. Wait until the new tariff
law has been tested by the people,
and then we will know how it suits.
Personally, l believe republican con-
gress has kept the pledges made by
the republican national convention in
the platform adopted in Chicago-and,
mark you, l emphasize republican
platform.
Speaker Cannon in such verbiage
stated his views upon the Payne tariff
bill this afternoon. "Uncle Joe" was
at the Union League for an hour on
mis- way home to Danville from Wash
ington.
81 am going back to Danville to
attend to Cannon's BUSINESS" said the
speaker, good naturally. 81 have not
been around these parts for some
time" and he was right, because he
has not been back to Illinois since he
started east for the regular session of
congress last year.
Only once did Uncle Joe appear to
be bit peevish, and that was wnen
he was asked if the report from New
York was correct that he contemplate
ed a voluntary retirement from con-
gress in the near future.
No Early Retirement Planned.
"Say," emphatically said the speak
er, as he spanked the peaceable and
eminently respectable cigar case of
the Union League, "my constituents
down here in Illinois have been mighty
good to me for lot of years. This
is a democratic government, and no
man can be mandamused to take a
Job unless he wants it; neither can a
constituency be served with writ of
habeas corpus to elect man. When
| | get ready to retire l will say so, and
when my district gets ready to re-
tire me it will say So"
Uncle Joe was asked if the report
is correct that he is about to start in
as Chautauqua Lecturer.
The earlier part of his reply is not
reported, but he concluded with the
statement that he expects to stay in
Danville the rest of the summer and
all of the fall and do nothing but
| rest.
Il have to get ready to get back
to Washington and run my own Chau
| tauqua," commented the speaker with
a characteristic wink, while the cigar
went to the equippical angle of 81
degrees.
''Do you think the new tariff law
will be satisfactory to Illinois repub-
leans and Illinois generality" the
| speaker was asked.
New Law Good One.
Il know of no reason why it should
not" answered the speaker. 'Illinois
republicans are good republicans and
the tariff law is good republican
| law"
SIS there any difference between Illi-
nois republicans and Iowa republic
cans?"
"Well, lots of good Iowa republicans
are not getting much credit for their
repubicanism just now," replied Uncle
joe
''The new tariff law is a good law.
1t marks the beginning of stirring
epoch of commercial prosperity, 1 be-
lieve," said Speaker Cannon. Il look
forward to at least ten years of splen-
did business and national growth.
Under republican administration the
United States will take another great
| forward stride.
"The house bill in its original form
was first disapproved-I was going to
say damned-by the newspapers which
attempted to display their influence.
A little later it was a saint in COMPARE
son with the senate bill. The confer
ence bill | consider fair maintenance
of the pledge which was formulated
and announced in the Chicago plat.
form.
Considered WOrkingmen First.
SIN framing the bill the working
men, the laboring classes and their
rights were first considered; second,
the rights of the manufacturers and
the employers of labor, and finally,
and against their will, the rights of
the importers. In my judgment a fair
test of the law will demonstrate that
it is a good law for all classes of
the nation. Let's give it trial and
then we shall see where we stand"
! Speaker Cannon said that he knew
nothing about Illinois federal patron
age and he seemed to care less. 81
am only consulted when my district
| is interested" he said "We are all
| 4:.c1 l,n nony;JIo ,,-ouO