The daily sentinel., 1910-09-03
E:{CANN0N
i DEP0SEO
WHAT THEN?

Washington, Sept. S.-If Cannon
is really deposed. what then? VIII
progressive be given his place?
These are queries of great import
ance raised throughout the country.
Many persons, especially in the in
surgent districts of the west, are un-
der the impression that if Cannon is
beaten for speaker II means that an
insurgent will fill his place.
1t is almost certain that such would
not be the case, however. If the next
house should be republican in COM
pleXion. the standpatters would dom
mate the republican side of the house,
and would therefore, If forced to de
pose Uncle Joe, elect as his successor
as firm an advocate of Cannonism as
Uncle Joe himself.
The identity of the man who seems
to stand a better chance than any
other republican of succeeding Uncle
| Joe is Marlin Il. Olmstead of Pennsyl-
vania. Speaker Cannon himself fav-
ors Olmstead in the event of his
forced retirement.
To go over Olmstead's record is to
be convinced that Uncle Joe himself
might as well remain at the head of
things. as to be succeeded by Ohm
stead.
, Olmstead has been well trained,
and from the standpoint of the "Old
Guard" is really the logical successor
of Mr. Cannon. Olmstead has for
years been the handy man of the Can
| non organization. He is the man
who comes forward with an adroit
defense of whatever outrage has been
committed by the Cannon machine,
whether 1t has been one of Legislation
enacted or Legislation suppressed
He is the man likewise who inter-
poses points of order against amend
ments or resolutions that would dis
turb the Cannon system and possibly
result. in public good. and the man
who can be relied upon to head an
| Investigating committee, when the
purpose of the investigation is to sup
press information and deal consider
ately with representatives of special
privilege who may be heavy contri-
butors to- the republican campaign
fund
Incidentally he is a consistent voter
with the organization and his record
of thirteen years service in the house
shows him always upon the side of
| special privilege and against pro-
gressive, clean and public spirited
legislation to promote the general
welfare.
| Olmstead' position in the organ
ization was clearly defined when he
was chosen by Cannon. of course with
the acquiescense and approval of Aid
rich and the other reactionary bosses
in house and senate, to preside over
| the committee of the whole, while the
PayneAldrich tariff bill was under
consideration. This meant that when
ever Cannon himself was not presid-
ing as speaker of the house, the reins
of control were held by Olmstead.
Olmstead has become conspicuous
as whitewasher. and 1t was because
of this that he was chosen to officiate
on the Ballinger investigation COM
mittee. During the earlier years of
| his service in the house he had been
chairman of one of the election COM
mittees, and whenever charges were
made that sitting republican mem
ber had obtained his election fraud
ulently or otherwise improperly. it
was Olmstead's pleasing duty to con-
duct an investigation and to. find the
charges untrue. and to make strong
speeches in the house supporting his
findings
AS chairman of the submarine boat
graft investigation, Olmstead found
the boat companies guiltless and Rep
resentative Lilley, who made the
charges of graft, guilty, doubtless as
a lesson to other members of congress
not to reveal facts uncomplimentary
to the republican party.
Olmstead's votes have always been
| in favor of the interests. His votes
In the fights over railroad regulation.
both in 1906 and in the last session,
were in support of railroad privilege.
His activities in connection with the
tariff were in support of Cannon's
efforts to make the tariff measure a
| special privilege bill
In the fight for pure food and
drug legislation. he was found advo-
eating the cause of the food poison
ers. and urging that the quantity of
opium or morphine which might be
included in patent medicine need
not be stated upon the label unless
1t exceeded certain quantity to each
ounce of the preparation.
BY great many votes he has
shown himself to be willing repre-
sentative of the steel trust interests.
| In as many more he has proved
himself loyal supporter of the rail-
roads. In none has he demonstrated
his desire to help the public.
As member of the Cannon organ
'yation. he has been no less determ-
! ined or active in the service Of the
snecial interests. in the suppression
1f 'nderendence in the house MEM
hership and In the application Of eau
Gus club to force legislation than.
Cannon himself