The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1910-02-04

troll. The instituting Of this rule II
those terrible days Of reconstruction,
submit, was entirely necessary, but il
was condition for good which was al.
lowed to prevail beyond the period
when it was required, and until it be-
came an evil Of tremendous national
importance.
In order to make it plain, will say
that with a speaker in the house under
the present rules, who is in league
with the president Of the United States,
all national legislation can be positively
prevented except that which the presi-
dent and the speaker desire to put
through. If the speaker Of the house
desires to prevent a bill from being
presented for vote he has absolute
power to do so, and there is an in
stance on record at a recent congress
when the speaker held up bill against
the protest of nearly every member Of
the house Of representatives, and his
sole reason was because he was per-
sonally opposed to the measure How
ridiculous, my friends, for his man
who is nothing more nor less than a
member OF congress, elected from his
district, to individually make himself
effective in opposition to a legislative
measure which is supported by three
fourths of the whole body Of the house
Of which he is only one, but enabled
to do so by virtue of his position as
speaker Of the house. No wonder
these able, wise and fair-minded men
have risen up and demanded a change
in this order of things. No more de-
lightful man you ever meet than the
Hon. Joseph Cannon OF Illinois, good
and loyal friend, bitter enemy, man
who deserves admiration from every
body for his remarkable achievements;
but when he is willing to submit him.
self as a sacrifice on the altar Of the re-
publican party's interests regardless Of
the peple, then we should say, in the
words of the insurgents, we admire
you, Uncle Joe, but we don't want
you for speaker, nor do we want the
rules governing the speakers power
which now prevail and which you de-
fend."
Believe me, my friends, there is no
faint of traitor in these brave spirits
who stand today for freedom of legisla-
tive principles from the conditions sur
rounding them at Washington.
Mr.. Poindexter as representative is
as pure a patriot as his relative and
predecessor, Senator Poindexter, who
represented the state of Missouri in
the senate in 1921, and who merci-
lessly fayed Senator Quincy of Massa-
chusetts when he made threat OF
secession on the part of the New Eng
land states because OF the failure of the
senatorial body to enact legis lation
which he and his associates OF New
England were advocating. No more
brilliant effort and illustration of patri-
otism was ever displayed than by Sena-
tor Poindexter on this memorable oc-
casion and his efforts were largely re-
sponsible for destroying this incipient
secession movement of that period,
and Miles Poindexter, if he is elected
to the senate by the people Of Wash
ington, will be well worthy TO continue
the name of Poindexter in the United
State senate.
am writing these lines because I
have the deepest sympathy and admir-
alton for the man who is sent to Wash
ington as a republican under the pres
ent party conditions, and who is willing
to risk his whole political career for the
sake of the people whom he represents
and for the causes he believes to be
right. 1t is the men who are willing
to dare and to make these sacrifices,
who are the real heroes, and who will
lead US to reform and to a government
that is truly for the people, and we
know that this government is not for
the common people as it is constituted
today, and when you have man who
is as able as Miles Poindexter, who
commands the respect of even his po-
litical foes, and who has spirit with
out fear, lofty man who can conceive
of nothing that is impure in his legisla-
tive work, guard that man and care fol
L = o-J ~