Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-08-27
Fowler on CannOnism.

Uncle Joe" Cannon's Characteristic:
why in the H should | notice
Fowler? He's a d ioke!" is a
profane ticker for the perverted fan
cies of his satellites and hired scoffers.
but to the minds of the people ii will
strengthen rather than weaken the
charges brought against "Cannonism
by Congressman Charles n. Fowler of
New Jersey.
In an open letter to Cannon. Repre-
sentative Fowler republican) goes
after the car of the house with ham,
mer and tongs He recites the duplic-
ity of Cannon in the matter of finan-
cial legislation. his welding of the
house gavel to crafty selfish spite,
his employment of his power to OPP
pose the interests of the people, his
outrageous manipulation of commit
tee appointments for the advancement
of private interests and strengthening
of the political oligarchy of which
Cannon is one of the chief schemers.
Unminced words tell in Representa-
tive Fowler.s forceful language how
he (Fowler) was decapitated as chair
man of the banking and currency COM
mittee because he declined to grovel in
the dust at Cannon's feet and take Or
ders from him.
One of the gravest charges made is
that contained in the following:
ct is reported that one of the SEN
ate conferees said that you would not
appoint a single conferee unless Mr.,
Aldrich o. KID and approved him.
In other words did you not enter
into conspiracy with Mr. Aldrich to
pack the conferees on the part of the
house for the express purpose of
adopting the senate bill so far as pos
sible instead of the house bill, with 4
! few exceptions, when you were honor
| bound 20 do everything in your power
to secure the adoption of the house
bill?
| Il have gone into these things to
lay bare your miserable. contemplate
false pretenseS and to expose your du-
plcity, treachery and perfidy to that
Legislative body over which you pre-
side, whose bill you were bound TO de
fend and not to destroy.
Mr.. Aidrich had the effrontery
to declare in the senate that the re-
publican platform did not pledge us to
a downward revision. He must have
then thought that your scheme was
going to work"
Important facts are being brought
to light Obviously there was good
and sufficient cause for the position
taken by such So-called insurgents"
as Dolliver. Cummins, La Toilette and
other republicans of the senate. They
knew of the treachery of the house
combine as well as the infamy of the
senate combine of republican trust
agents.
Cannonism is an issue, as Represen-
sentative Fowler says. 1t has been an
issue for some time. 1t was made an
issue in the last campaign, when the
democratic platform read in part:
1.-The house of representatives was
designed by the fathers of the consti-
tuition to be the popular branch of our
government, responsive to the public
will.
The house of, representatives, as
controlled III recent years by the re-
publican party, has ceased to be de-
libeIate- and legislative body, respol.
sive to the will of majority of its
members, but has come under the alb
solute domination of the speaker, who
has entire control of its deliberations
and powers of legislation.
Eve have observed with amaZement
the popular branch of our federal gov.
eminent helpless TO obtain either the
consideration or enactment of meas
urs desired by majority of its mem
bers.
Legislative government becomes a
failure when one member, in the per
son of the speaker. is more powerful
than the entire body.
I'VE demand that the house of rep
resentatives shall again become de
liberate body, controlled by a majority
OF the peoples representatives and not
by the speaker. and we pledge our
serves to adopt such rules and regu
lations OF its members to direct its
deliberations and control legislation.
!. In the next congressional election
this will be made a forceful issue
2 Fowler significantly says:
81 at is possible you do not know tina