The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1909-07-23
CANNON'S HOT SHOT.
Speaker OF the House Ridlcules
Uplitt Movement.
"PURE ROT" SAYS UNCLE JOE
Declares Former President Roose.
vslt's Country Life Commission 10 .
"Flat Failurs"-Hss No Patienos
With Attempt to Relieve Conditions
That Are Not Understood.


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 upllft:
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 take outb
that they don't know what they are
talking about"
what they have compiled Is pure
rot. The commission is fiat failure"
1.-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"
1.-THE people who do the most harm
are those who give to what they call
charity either for notoriety or to bride
God"
at Is well enough to plan for the
future OF this country" said Mr.. Can
non-"this country which is to have
5O0,000,O00 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.
IL 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.
lions that you don't understand. i
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, II what I
have read of 1t is a fair sample. The
country life commission Is a fat fail
ure because It has dealt with condi.
lions 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 will 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 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, a 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 10
worthy to be given recognition In this
country Of ours"
Mr.. Cannon paid high tribute Of
respect and admiration to Mrs. V. G.
Slmkhovitch Of New York. q settle
ment worker, whose work centers in q
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 so often beset
with trials that demand forbearancs
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 flaunt encouragement before the
eyes of the public.
~---N
A Story Of Father Mathew.