Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1910-03-25
CANNONS ADDRESS
WHEREIN HE OFFERED TO STEP
DOWN and OUT.
Says He Has Ever Held Up to Prin-
ciples of the Republican Party
Blames Republicans for Not Sticking
Together-says Majority Does Not
Rule.

Washington, March .20.-Following is
part of Speaker Cannon s remarkable
address in the house Saturday after
noon, offering to lay down the speaker
ship:
Actions, not words, determine the
conduct and the sincerity of men in
the affairs of life. This is a govern
ment by the people, acting through the
representatives of a majority of the
people.
",Results cannot be secured except
by majority, and in the house of rep
resentatives a majority being RESPONSE
BILE should have full power and should
exercise that power. Otherwise the
majority is inefficient and does not per-
form its function.
Minority as Check.
"The office of the minority is to
put the majority on it's good behavior,
advocating in good faith the policies
which it processes, ever ready to take
advantage of the mistakes of the ma
pority party and appeal to the country
for its vindication.
"The country believes that the re-
publican party has majority of Al in
the house of representatives at this
time, yet this is not the case. The
present speaker of the house has to
the best of his ability and judgment
co-operated with the republican party,
and so far In the history of this con-
gress the republican party in the house
has been enabled, by very small ma
Jority, when the test came, to legislate
in conformity with the policies and
the platform of the republican party.
Case Is Outlined.
| "The speaker can not be unmindful
of the fact, as evidenced by three pre-
vious elections to the speakership, that
in the past he has enjoyed the con-
fdence of the republican party of the
country, and of the republican members
of the house; but through the assault
upon the speaker of the house, the
minority, supplemented by the efforts
of the so-called insurgents, constituting
Is per cent of the majority party, is
now in the majority. That the speaker
of the house is not in harmony with
the actual majority of the house is evil
denced by the vote just taken.
"There are two courses open for the
speaker to pursue; one is to resign and
permit the new combination of demo-
Gratis and insurgents to choose a
speaker in harmony with it's aims and
purposes. The other is for that com
bination to declare vacancy in the
Office of speaker and proceed to the
election of new speaker.
Resignation Not Wise.
CATER consideration at this stage,
the house, with much important legis-
lation pending, involving the pledges
of the republican platform, and be-
lieving that his resignation might con-
sumo weeks of time in the reorganiza-
ton of the house, the speaker, being
in harmony with republican policies
and DESTROYS of carrying them out, de-
clines by his own motion to precipi-
tate a contest upon the house in the
election of new speaker.
"This is one reason that the speaker
does not resign at once; and another
is this:
"In the judgment of the present
speaker, a resignation is, in itself, a
confession of weakness, a mistake, or
an apology for past action" loud
applause.)
Strain Tells on All.
Members and spectators were strained
almost to breaking by the excitement
attending important stages of the con-
test, and the demonstrations were the
most strenuous ever made in congress
Stiffness, so complete as to be Cypress.
i've, fell on the chamber each time the
clerk turned to hand the speaker slip
of paper giving the fateful result of a
roll call. All of these favored the
allies, and the announcement of eacn
successive victory brought them to their
feet. Even the members of the diplo-
matte corps, who crowded their gallery
were stirred by the drama on the floor
When the height Of the excitement
was reached late in the day the pres.
sure on the doorkeepers in the main
hallway became so heavy that women
for the first time stood on the floor of
the house during a session.
Speaker Smiles at Last.
When the house adjourned Speaker
Cannon, standing on the lower step OF
the fight that leads to the "throne, u
shook hands with his followers as they
filed by. With broad smile he passed
out friendly greetings. 1t was sug
gested that, as he had been practically
reelected as speaker, it would be ap
propriate that he should tell the
country what he would do.
"oh, suppose I shall go on speak
ing and praying" he said.
NHsaAa