The sun., 1909-11-14
CANNON ACCUSES PUBLISHERS
SAYS POPULARITY BRIBE WAS
OFFERED FOR FREE PAPER.
Speaker Delares That Herman Ridder and
Others offered TO Make Him President
IN Return for Forcing Bill Through
the HOusc--Raps for His Enemies.


IN Return for Forcing BnI Through
the HOusc--Raps for His Enemies.
BLOOMING ron, ILL.,. Nov. I3.-Speaker
Cannon in bitter address which he began
Fat midnight last night made his first
pfblic utterance in defence Of Cannonism.
upcle Joe lambasted everything and
everybody that does not agree with him.
The address was delivered before the
Blopmington Business Mems Association
nt an annual banquet.
Speaker Cannon began his address in
lpogt and soothing fashion and his voice
could hardly be heard in the back part OF
The room. 1t was not until he had spoken
for half an hour that he finally warmed up
70 his theme.
Is He first rected some OF the important
events which this State and country had
witnessed during the years OF his long
public life. He told in a striking way OF
the growth Of the State OF Illinois to its
present position Of power in wealth and
intelligence and influence in the United
states
"a Mr.. Cannon then paid tribute to many
% the prominent citizens of Mclean
county whom he had known in the earlier
ysars and whose lives Of usefulness he
praised.
OF the living men to whom the Speaker
paid equal honors were Gov. Fifer and the
Hon. A. Il. Stevenson. He spoke OF
meeting Gov Fifer to-day and of the won
dsrful vitality and force which the former
Governor displays. OF Mr.. Stevenson
he spoke as a worthy adversary in politi-
cal life, but he said that he was a man who
In the fiercest political contest never
STRUCK foul blow. Then he said that the
example of Stevenson might well be emu
hated by the journalists. the politicians
and the statesmen of to-day.
y Speaker Cannon defended the course
nf the present Congress and of himself
In regard to the tariff bill. He said that
sag the close OF the last Congress Presi-
dent Roosevelt had written letter prais-
ing the work Of Congress, and in this letter
the Speaker Of the House had been named
ss deserving OF much of the credit for the
many good laws which had been written
On the books-
The Speaker then traced in detail what
be declared to be the chief cause Of his
unpopularity with the press. this being
>nis action ON the matter of duty on print
paper. He said he was called upon by a
deputation representing the American
Pnblishers Association. of which Herman
kidder was the president, and this deputa-
tion had made the demand that he railroad
through Congress by illegal means a bill
which should make print paper free OF
duty.
This the Speaker had declined to do,
although the deputation had offered him.
~ ssid. practically promise or a bribe
lthAt Ne would be the next President or
that they (the publshers) would use
their influence to see that he was made !
President.
When he had emphatically declined to
be bought or cajoled then the deputation, |
with Ritter at it's head, had gone forth |
TO- fight him through their powerful in !
fsnenoe, the daily press. which spoke
- the people many times zach day.
fs~How marvelously we have pro spered."
nAid the Speaker. IT he Post Office |
Department, which has excellent measure |
OF the business of the country, yielded
less than 81 ,oOo,oO Of revenue then. To:
day 1t yields in the neighborhood Of !
62o0 600 900 Of revenue and costs S24O,- |
300 600, and this too notwithstanding |
Mat tho publishers Of the United States, |
fepreserting the seventh manufacturing |
Industry in the United States. received |
4 yearly bounty for the distribution of |
't6eir wares equal to a loss to the Treasury |
~ The United States u 500 900 600.
y ia am -as much responsible for that
~ anybody. During the first years
n the Committee on Post Office and Post
U1ads and reported the bill revising the
EDQM&03 laws and establishing the pound
Xzt9 Tor the product OF the publishers. |
nm not saying that we can % or ought
reverse At. Possibly it ought to be
fs-Ihaye sometimes thought, however,
4h&n they thunder about the franking |
N<ivii6Jes, which the mail weighings |
have shown to cost the Treasury less than
sne-quarter OF per cent. OF the revenue
md adording the only chance a member
al Congress- had to get actual facts all |
the time 20 the people-when they thun-
DIR for the abolition Of the franking
Eriviiege / sometimes think they have a
Hrcat deal of gall, and wonder whether
Ill u them know what they are thunder
inG about
print paper had advanced in price
4bout half as much as other products
~ the country. Our friends who publish
4ftys eixty or seventy pages. about half
~QFertlHenents, much news and many
epa4ysf Of people-sorne Of whom stand
kbr the pplift and some for the downlift
s-did mt like IL. do not blame them;
sa ~ am mot speaking OF the journalists.
j nm spca king OF the publishers: the men
~ho own the stock, the men who control
the 4pubhcations. They did not like this
0uyanc& think regret IL myself more |
than nmybody else who did not have pecu-
lliAry interest In It. did not want trouble. |
--xhAt there came one morning to the
6peaker's room the president OF the Pub
lfahers Association, Mr.. Herman Ridder,
4nd there came with him certain repre-
eentatives of metropolitan newspa pers.
i do not want just now to take on too
much. 80 j will stop with Ridder.
= On. 1 could a tale unfold-not upon
my word. but upon the proof Of perfectly
truthful men. The publishers had a
tight to come. There was somebody
fcplish enough, you know. to suggest |
that i ought to be President. / knew
that / never would be President, but
good people in the Republican party in
tie State OF Illinois seemed to be willing
for two years, and they said that ought |
TO ba President.
Possibly 1t was a little vanity on my
part. and ought to have told them to !
desist, but did not.
n The demand was made by Mr.. Ridder |
that a bill should be passed to place print |
paper on the free list. He said he spoke |
for all the publishers. 1 said. Mr.. Ridder, !
you cannot pass a popgun bill OF that |
kind through. Bills OF that kind must |
originate in the House. Such a bill has |
aiready been introduced, and Mr.. Payne |
tzlia me- IL has baan OnnaidaraA bxy hia |