Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1909-06-04
.CAhNON'S HOT SHOT,
Speaker Of the House RidicuIes
Uplift Movement.
"PURE ROT" SAYS UNCLE JOE
Declares Former President Roose-
vslt's Country Life Commission is a
"Flat Faiiure"-Has No Patience
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 uplift:
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 oath
that they don't know what they are
talking about"
"What they have compiled is pure
rot. The commission is fiat failure"
"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
phant"
"The people who do the most harm
are those who give to what they call
charity either for notoriety or to bribe
God"
''It is we'll enough to plan for the
future Of this country" said Mr.. Can
non-"this country which is to have
5O0,0000OO 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.
II 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.
tions that you don't understand.
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, if what
have read Of 1t Is fair sample. The
country life commission is a fat fail
ure because 1t has dealt with condi
tions that didn't require dealing witt
by theorists and because its members
don't know what they are talking
about.
"Open the sensational newspapers
and the magazines and you will reac
ok no ~ hn 10 iah
their foolishnesses and their fads
They are Of no real consequence. The.
bear about the same relation to thu
great mass of the American people tha
the fly on the elephants trunk bear
to the elephant. but they give th'
excuse for demagogues. who live no
by the sweat of their faces. but by th
sweat Of their tongues. to inveigl
against economic conditions eXistin!
in this country. That is why they con
stitute a real evil. Once in awhi
when other methods of seeking noto
riety have failed they declare them
selves to be friends of the people ant
proclaim themselves to be Socialists.
| uOA iCSLCt 'o'''
not be here IL 1t wasn't for that II
be scattered over the continent of Eu
rope. There'd be little of me in tn
Low Counties, mite in France, POI
ton In Ireland, some more in Englan
and Scotland. The great bulk of on
immigrants live by the sweat of thei
faces, and any one who does that
worthy to be given recognition in thi
country Of ours"
Mr.. Cannon paid high tribute 9
respect and admiration to Mrs. V. {
Simkhovitch of New York. settle
ment worker, whose work centers in
block in New York city street
which more than 1000 persons liv'
Mrs. Simkhovitch spoke in quiet BIT
effective manner of her labors in th
congested district. where the work {
the settlement worker is SO often best
with trials that demand forbearanC
and endless patience.
The speaker found every reason
believe that the world Is growing be
ter each day and deprecated the exis
ence OF pessimists whose chief missio
is to flaunt encouragement before tt
eyes of the public.