The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-09-24
CANNON RIPS AND
TEARS IN SPEECH
Illinois Republican Conven-
ton App|auds Speaker
LONG DEFENSE OF TARIFF
Cannon Launches Tirade Against
Metropolitan Newspapers and De-
cIares That His Party Has
Made Wise Laws

Springfield, ILL.,, September 23.-l
"Uncle Joe" Cannon attended the re-
publican state convention today and
enjoyed himself. He saw a platform
adopted, meeting his tariff ideas;
heard addresses approving the work
of Congress and President Taft; put
his arms around many old friends;
smoked cigars, and delivered a speech
himself amid vociferous applause.
He swung his arms, stamped his feet
and shouted as he talked and occa-
sionally he smiled. True, the platform
mentioned him by name. but the rea
son did not lie In himself. Senator
Lorimer's name was omitted as a start
er and after some deliberation, but in
order that it's absence might not be
too glaring 1t was agreed to omit the
names of Senator Cullom and the
speaker Senator Cullom personally
caused the withdrawal of plank com
plimentary to himself. Mr.. Cannon de-
clared that the insurgents were trying
to put halo on thier own heads at
his expense. He continued:
An Era of Peace
"This is not time of war. Thank
God 1t is an era of peace In this coun-
try 1 recite this incident not to stir
up animosity but in the contest touch
ing economic politics In the present of
instrumentation, in the presence of
faIseh ood, in the presence of denuncia-
tion, abounding everywhere. but most
in the Uplift Magazine and large
portion of the metropolitan press. 1t
is the time for the republican party
in Illinois and all over the country to
stand up and be counted 1 pray God
to help that great party keep the re-
publican faith, whether we succeed or
fall 1t is better to fight and fail,
standing true to correct principles and
policies of government which underlie
the prosperity of 90,000,000 people than
to cowardly turn your back to the
contest, fleeing enemy, apol ogize and
| excuse.
| I'VE made a platform in Chicag in
| 1908. We nominated and subsequently,
elected Taft. We elected a republican,
House with nominal majority OF more
| than 40 and almost two-thirds majority
| In the Senate. Taft Is great man.
He has the judicial temperament. He
| would preserve the coordinate
branches of the government as the
| fathers made them and wisely made
| them, for the protection of rich and
poor weak and strong. Taft has per-
formed the duties of his great onice
and he has left 1t to Congress to leg
islate and to the courts to interpret
the law and he could not do differently
If he were to try. because God gave
him that kind of a manhood
Judicial Temperament
1.-THE judicial temperament is not spec
tacular; it does not play the role or the
evangel. The President of the United
States-your President and mine-to stand
by the duties as defined in the constitu-
ton and cooperate with his party in
writing upon the statute book just leg
lislation, keeping his oath of office to see
that the laws are enforced. Taft has
done all those things. l am proud OF
the record made by the Sixty-first Con-
gress. We kept the pledges that were
made in the Chicago platform We en-
acted the Payne tariff law which has
been abused and misrepresented from
every standpoint. 1t has been so much
abused that some of the children in the
counry cry aloud when they wake up In
the night time and say oh. mother,
mother the Payne tariff law Is ABOUT
to catch U.S.
.When we entered upon the revision
of the Dingley law there were some re-
publIcans who said we could not make
a scientific revision; we dld not know
enough and they would get up and PICK
out one schedule or one item In great
measure that includes 5000 items ana de-
nounce 1t. II they had had their way
about IT. we would not have kept the re-
publican platform pledge because OF the
lack of information, and yet We received
our instructions from the national con-
vention to enact new tariff law.
Making Tarin Lnw
while it may be wrong in an ltem'
and there | want to say to you that SO
long as the human race survives, when
1t comes to making great tariff law that
assist In gathering $S,000,000 or $9.O0O,0OO TO
carry on this government, that must pe
passed by majority of the House and
Senate representing territory stretch
ing $500 miles from one ocean to the
other. with complex and diverse inter-
ests, nobody has, or ever WILL or ever
can. enact a perfect revenue law. The
older l get and the more see OF my
self and men the more strongly con-
vinced I am that perfection resides with
God alone, together with all wisdom ana
all power.
"There was a period of uncertainty
and a slackening of industry while we
were considering the tariff. dislike to
see the business and production of the
country halted and held back for any
reason, and that is why am sometimes
called Standpatter. i nave Deen
through five revisions of the tariff and
have seen the Generalization that en-
sued preceding and sometimes following
a change in the revenue law. II had
all power and all wisdom I would revise
the tariff every day without notice to
anybody.
Free List Is Larger
"Under the Payne law the free list is
larger than It ever was under any tariff
from the foundation of the government.
and the advalorem rate on importation
Is less than under any tariff law for
the last sixty years. not excepting the
Walker tariff law. We reduced the rates
here, there and yonder.. but we kept the
law a protective measure. Under that
law the revenues have increased until
the breeches and the vest meet, and
there are $26, 100000 surplus for an apron.
Before that there were idle cars and
many men out of employment.
"Our friends, the enemy. and the great
metropolitan press or a portion Of 1t,
do not print long editorials stating fur
ther the facts that I am stating From
pride of opinion or otherwise they put Off
in a corner in fine type any statement
that may be favorable to the tariff law
and pie up the headlines which. in the
main, give the lie to the dispatch. and
the dispatch frequently tells half truth
Do not let any man think | am abusing
the press. 1t has it's legitimate place
n were to abuse 1t. even though I