The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-21
UNCLE JOE sNUFFED OUT.

| UNCLE JOE SNUFFED OUT.
Representative Murdoch of Kansas
put the extinguisher on Speaker Can
non in truly expert style. AT the same
time, he explained that he had nothing
against Cannon, no desire to pursue
him; bur when the Speaker came into
Kansas to oppose Republican progress,
he could no longer keep silent. Mr.,
Murdock is one of the most prominent
Of the progressive Republican mem.
bers of the House, and he has no
opposition in his own district for re-
nomination and reelection Speaker
Cannon s presence in Kansas, however,
with his blatant howls and atroclous
misrepre sentations OF the progrcssives,
is calculated to stir up trouble, and so
Mr., Murdock goes to the trouble to
snuff him out as Republican light.
| And how completely and deftly he
does it, He exposed Cannon s "deal -
with Tammany to save his own scalp.
He showed that in the tariff schedules
Cannon s acts and efforts were dictated
by his personal interests, mentioning
particularly the petroleum schedule and
that on ladies' gloves. Cannon opposes
all progress, .Ir Murdoch claims, and
Federal inspection of meats; he OPP
posed currency reform; he has OPP
posed practically all legislation since
the Civil war;
Among the things mentioned speciii
cally by Representative Murdoch as
which we in this region krow to be
a fact, 1t required the strong hand
OF President Roosevelt To dig out the
National IRRIGATION bill from under the
mass of rubbish which Cannon had
piled upon it, and get it before the
House for action, Cannon being hostile
to it all through and apparently de-
termIned to smother the bill as it came
from the Senate And he was reported
as bitterly hostile, in the session of
Congress Just ended, to the issue Of
$4,000, 900 Treasury certificates to in
projects under way. AS Mr.. Murdock
says, Cannon has been an obstructor
of all progressive legislation for thirty
years.
But there is this to say for Cannon
He is bold, courageous old fighter
He is always out In the open. He is
4 remorseless plundercr Of the Treasury
when it comes 10 putting the public
money AT the service OF his fellow.
members by way of expenditures in
their districts, where they can reap
personal and political advantage
great friend of 'the pork barrel - see.
ing more fragrant virtue in that than
In any possible proposal of reform or
progress
Cannon is a shifty old fox, too.
When the House passed its bill to re-
wise the tariff-downward-at the
extra session last year, Cannon pro-
nounced its bill the greatest and best
work he had ever seen done III Con
gress. 1t was. in fact, fairly good
bill. 1t did good deal of revising
downward, But the Senate ignored the
House bill, and proceeded 10 construct
Il bill of It's own, in conformity to the
desires of f'the interests and mon
opolistic trusts; bill that revised
upward, and not downward, its trainers
braZcnly saying that there had been
no promise to revise downward. And
when Cannon received that bunko
measure from the Senate he promptly
pronounced it the greatest ever, turn
ing his back squarely on the House bill,
which he had Heretofore pronounced
perfection.
1t is a fine thing TO see this bold
buccaneer in politics, this "stand
stiller,' as Representative Murdocls
called him, met on his own ~round and
in his own manner. He will not be
able to do any good henceforth in
Kansas to the standpat' cause, aud
doubtless lie will soon be withdrawn
from the stump in that State.