The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-08-31
WALL PREsfDENT TAFT GO AFTEF
SPEAKER cANNoN's scALP7

aa.iSSsss3t.atJIncle Joe" Cannon. the Iron Duke
oftlAmerican Politics" Is going to have
arough road to travel during the com.
Ing session OF congress.
That ID the opinion of people who
$nre following the situation closely. The
throwing Of the gauntlet by Represcn-
satives Fowler of New Jersey. and hfs
drastic arratgnn1ent OF the Speaker
and his machine" in the House. is
S11rt tho preliminary def of those who
4 are tbuslly! engaged in laying plans 10
encompass the downfall Of the Dan:
Wills Statesman AMI the policies for
1 which he stands.
The so-callel insurgents made n
vigorous but Intellectual fight against
s"Cannonism", at the last session. They
lost but It. is extremely doubtful
whether the Speaker really "sot even"
with these refornery by giving them
the poorest committee ass! 1rments in
y nils power. The insurgents them
/ selves are rather nlensc:l that The
!. Spaker treated them In this way-st
gives them more ammunition for Inc
I next battle, and 1t only strengthens
fheir5 contention that the greatest Of
ali evils in the present government OF
the House is the Speakers power OF
snppressinE men on committees. or In
.tpacking" the committees SO that they
will be pliant to his will.
Then too. Speaker Cannon's reputa-
( ton wasn't enhanced particularly by
3 the course. he adopted during the tariff
session. He wnH aligned with the high
y duty advocates. ! It was "Uncle Joe"
+ who led the fight for duty on oil;
It'll was "Uncle Joe" who strenuolsly
worked for Increased rates on gloves
4 and hosiery 1t was "Unclc Joe" who
later was found working-qnictly hut
vigorously President Taft In
his efforts To secure reductions. Some
members are now wondering whether.
sff5thn rules actually nad been revised
F On March is, there would not have
been a .treal downward tariff revision
when the Payne bill was acted upon.
THE chances are that during the next
session every bitiof legislation promot-
Z Ell by Speaker. Cannon will be thor
oughly scrutlnizel for possible "jok-
#era., 5@ Il 49, 4.
The President has already announc-
ed that he will ask Congress next ses-
sion to enact new railroad legislation.
NE fnvorsprogressive laws. which VIII
give the government greater resnla-
y tive power over railway operations. So
\ Tar, Speaker Cannon has stood sharp
SlysaEainst such legislation. and he IS
hostile to any attempt further to In
crease the Governments supervisory
\ power over corporations.
Y lit has more than once been whis-
4 pered that the President has srall
sympathy with the Ono-Man House Of
I Representatives. He doesn't like
GEARS" and 'Iron Dukes" lie wants
% really Representative House Of Rep
resentatives. and 1t would not be at nj!
d surprise to members to see TIM guns
OF the administration leveleh against
2Cannonism at the next session.
Meanwhile the insurgents are busy
4 on the GChautnuquas and lJceum cir
cnlts laundering dennnciations OF tho
4 SIeaker. No one has yet had tina
4 tamerlty! to tour the country In his IA.
y var. 4 And SO the sentiment against
4 the. House nchlnei grows. It Is safe
to predict that some OF. those members
!, who have been most active III t1eir
support Sof Z Uncle Joe and most con.
y sS5crrned isln1 the $coerclve methods he