Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-09
Sr1iYit 90 TIVE

spirit of our institutions.
Looking into your intelligent faces
mere today, l marvel that any man
should dare to assert to you that the
rules Of the house ought not to be
amended so that they may be in accord
with the modern spirit of government.
There was a time when we allowed a
few men to mould the politics of state,
but that time is passed for all time.
That is an issue in the Republican
| party-an issue that will be fought out
and will strengthen and better the
party. 1t is not an issue directed at
! Speaker Cannon, because when the
the rules will be amended not alone for
Uncle Joe but for all the speakers in
all time to come.
| As to Insurgents.
II caught the idea, from what little
read of yesterdays speech, that my
| distinguished friend from Illinois does
not like the insurgents. He doesn't
like Republican insurgents, but he is
very fond of Democratic insurgents.
Tor when the boys came to organize
the house in March the Democratic in
surgents came in conveniently. OF
course, Joe Cannon wouldn't have been
defeated for speaker don't say 1
would have voted for him IL had been
member; rather think l would not
changed, as many of the Republicans
wanted to change them.
Then certain Democratic insurgents
including some from New York. headed
by gentleman named Fitzgerald,
came to the conclusion that they didn't
want the rules amended. So they join
ed with Uncle Joe and in that coalition
these rules were retained, And hope
! that when Cannon is directing his
satire toward the insurgents he will
not forget that he owes his power to a
combination between Republicans and
the Democratic insurgents.
Il would be in favor of taking away
from the speaker this power if he were
my best friend. He has more power
the United States. A bill cannot be
considered unless he wishes it. Your
forefathers fought to be released from
Less power than this and now that it
has been made an issue in this district
| and in this state don't believe you
Will be willing to perpetuate that pow
er. The rules are mostly right. Only
name the committees. Then we would
all be free to vote as we please. This
is all there is to this issue of the rules
of the house. Allow no man, no matter
how eloquent or how specious. to draw
you away from that idea.
NO Partisan Fight.
This is neither a Republican nor a
Democratic idea. 1t is not a partisan
issue. 1t Is simply good. sound Ameri-
can doctrine. If a Democrat or pro-
gressive Republican was in the chair
l would be just as much opposed as
am now to letting the speaker have
and exercise the power he now pos
sesses.
1--WE will have to fight it out during
CT To,r
voted for the change of rules and four
voted against it, and some time during
the next year you will have to say
whether the six or the four were right.
That's all have to say about the rules
of the house.
Now want to talk about something
q little more personal. I take it that
your speaker Of yesterday was not sat
isfed with my vote on the tariff bill
didn't intend to talk on the tariff here
today, but / have never been able to
believe in the Biblical advice that tells
US after fellow smites us on one
cheek to turn the other so he can get
good blow at that. I believe that after
the other fellow smites YOU on the
cheek the thing to do is to go right in
and soak him on the solar plexus If you
know how. / never. would have issued
9 challenge on this subject, but when
it is issued I will never run from it.
/ have never acquired the habit of al
lowing the enemy to look at my back.
So feel that will have to say a word
az to my vote on the tariff bill
A Real Protectionists.
"TTncle Joe Cannon is no more pro-
tectionist than I am. 1 never believed
more in protection than do now. My
experience in the last session of con-
gress emphasized my stand. When
properly applied think the principle Of
protection does more for the country
than any other governmental doctrine.
But am not the kind of protectionist
Joe Cannon is. He thinks there can be
no duty too high. think there can be.
That's the real difference between
Aldrich and myself. Aldrich is good
man. If 1 were teaching a Sunday
school class I'd as lief entrust it to
Aldrich as any one else know but not
to Cannon. No, he doesn't understand
Aldrich. He is an upright. moral man.
"Aldrich, Hale, Cannon. Dalzell,
Payne--they ere all good men. But
they believe that If we make the great
corporations greater and their profits
bigger, somehow. somewhere some
time, you and will get our share from
the crumbs that -all from their table.
They never saw why the railroads
should be limited in their charges, be-
cause they believed that when they had
filed their Golfers they would divide
with you and me and the rest of us.
They believe the laws are best admin
istered in the hands of the mighty cor
porations, and from that belief rebel.
repudiate the entire theory.
II believe the government is your in
strument of assault against these men.
You are entitled to a fair fight and it
is the duty of the government to give 1t
| to YOU
81 go to the platform enacted by the
Republican convention for my brand of
Republicanism. find that the Republi-
cans of the United States, having
brought themselves together at Chica-
go, declared for duties on every COM
petitfve article which will equal the
difference between the cost of produce
ton in America and the cost of pro-
duction abroad, with a fair manufac-
turers profit added. That Is the Repub-
lican standard for the measurement Of
| import duties. Every word uttered in
the last session of congress upon the
tariff. every vote cast, was tested by
the Republican platform of 1908
| II belive that the American producer
should hold the American market !
don't believe in importing commodities
| if the American manufacturer or pro-
Queer Is willing to sell at fair price.
| But I've enough Scotch and enough