The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-04-01
WRITES TO THE HERALD
Gives His Opinion of the Action of
the House In Rejecting
''UlCle Joe" Speaker
TO REVISION
Cannon is in Favor of Nigh Tariff
and Favors Change Only through
CompuISiOn -.


Herald
Judging from the reports of the
district papers, there appears to be
some misunderstanding as to the re-
suit of the effort to amend the rules
of the House, the impression being
that the Insurgents won victory.
The real facts are that there were a
sufficient number of Insurgents to de-
feat the speaker and to properly
amend the rules. And while many
Insurgents weakened on the speaker
ship fight, and finally voted for Can
non, yet on the question of revision
of rules, they stood solidly together,
their tactical mistake being made in
permitting the election of Speaker
Cannon, which was the first order of
business.
That certain interests could, and
would, secure great advantage through
Cannon's influence as speaker, was
we'll known. The Insurgents, as q
whole, and the Democrats, in main,
stood solidly for revision of the rules
in the interest of the public. But
Cannon having been elected speaker,
was put in possession of certain adj
vantages, which were plainly used to
secure the support of some Tammany
Democrats, who, though few in num-
bers. were many enough to defeat the
proposed amendments and have others
substituted for them. This they did,
leaving in the speakers hands absolute
control of all committee assignments
and effect, the entire fedora patronage.
The little advantage which was ac-
tually gained by slight amendment
OF the rules, is in itself of compare
lively little value to the members
who desire to represent their constit-
uency. After Cannon had secured
his election, his stock in trade,
consisting of committee assign
ments and federal appointments, was
used to prevent the passage of the
adopted program of the Democrats
and Insurgents to amend the rules so
as TO shear the speaker of his political
power and return it to the people, to
whom it rightly belongs, and that
stock in trade his friends skilfully
used. While thu Insurgents and
Democrats did not secure the adoption
of their proposed amendments, they
won a great moral victory, for the
country has learned that 1t has die
tator as speaker, one who controls
legislation even more than any king
on the European continent. 1t is
very clear, however that Cannon is
serving his last term, and that no
speaker will ever again be permitted
to WELD the power of the present in
cubent.
The scare that tariff revision would
be endangered, should a change of
rules occur, was pure fabrication of
the Cannon interests. That was
trick which was played for the pur-
pose of deceiying the people, and serv-.
ed asa trap in which many unSuS-
pecting public officials were caught.
AS matter of fact, revision Of the
tariff could never have been more Sc
curely or adequately made, so as to
meet the demands of the producers of
this country, than il the rules had
been so amended as to take from the
speaker his control of the House,
which he exercises by reason of his
power to appoint all the committees.
Parenthetically stated, it has been
only during the last four years that
the speaker has had such absolute
control. Cannon is not a reyiSionist
at heart, and neither will the chair
men of the important committees
which he appoints. be so. There will,
no doubt, be revision of the tariff,
though not by the friends ofreyision,
but largely by those who by sheer
force of expediency have been compel
led to yield to the popular demand-fes
revision. And under such circun-
stances, a satisfactory revision can
not be expected, though therewill be an
Continued on mage 3