The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-08-17
Copper Country Candidate For
Congress Opens His Marquette
County Campaign With
Fine Meeting
Is GIVEN HEARTY APPLAUSE
Declares Himself Opposed to Cannon
and Cannonism; In Favor Of EN-
pioyers' Liability Law and
Court Reform.

Marquette. Mich, Aug. 17.-Pledg-
ing himself as unalteraby opposed to
the re- election OF Joseph G. Cannon as
speaker of the house of representatives
and standing unequivocally for that
progressive Republicanism which has
recently been endorsed by the Repub-
licans Of Kansas and Iowa, Angus w.
Kerr opened his Marquette county
campaign for the Republican nomina-
ton for representative in congress from
the Twelfth district Of Michigan, with
an open-air speech i'm Lakeside park
last evening, which was heard by a
large and apparently sympathetic
crowd.
Mr.. Kerr's address was given close
attention by the large crowd and at
the close of several of his oratorical
periods he was given hearty applause,
particularly when he declared himself
uSdlllSl 1dInOllSn.
In opening, Mr.. Kerr stated that he
was a Republican through and through
and would not abuse his opponent i'm
the race for the congressional nomina-
ton. He advised the voters to vote
for the Republican candidate, whom
soever it might be, and deplored the
bitterness within the party which
might be stirred up during the cam
paigns of the candidates for nomina-
tion, unless the candidates themselves
exercised due care to prevent IL.
Your Congressman Your Attorney.
"Of all the men you elect to Office"
said Mr.. Kerr, there is none so i'm
portant as the man whom you choose
to represent you in the legislative
halls at Washington. Your congress-
man is your attorney in national af-
fairs, so to speak. and you should see
to it that the man you vote for is a
man who stands for the things you
stand for. While / am a loyal Repub-
lican. believe in speaking out against
the wrongs which have sprung up
within that party.
There are now two factions within
the Republican party, the so-called
standpatters, and the progressiyes or
insurgents. The former apparently be-
lieve that the duty of the government
is to protect and build up the great
material interests. I believe this a
misconception of the idea of govern
ment. The other party says that the
government shall give concern to the
things that affect the welfare OF the
individual citizen.
Joe Cannon has said that the So
called insurgents are not Republicans,
but the voters of Kansas and Iowa
nave within the last few weeks en-
phatically declared that Cannon was
not elected to say who is and who is
not n Republican. stand for the
enactment of those laws that are for
the benefit of individuals, rather than
for laws that work only for the bene-
ft of material interests.
'ISuch being the case, / believe that
congress should enact an employers
liability act. The fellow servant doc
trine, which says that an employe can
not collect damages from a company
by reason of an injury inflicted by
careless fellow employe, however lit
tie the injured may know of or about
him, is all wrong. There are only two
countries in the world where this doc
trine still applies-in the United
States and In Turkey.
Court Rules Need Reforming.
Further, | stand for the belief that
the courts should be as free t. the man
of small purse as to the man with n
big purse. Under thei ipresent system
rich man or corporation can keep
case i'm the courts for years, until
the poor man on the other side has TO
give up for lack of money to carry on
the fight. i have i'm my pocket the rec
ord of one case where a man was
lwarded $4,000 damages, after which
the case was appealed and retired four
times. and more than nine years elaps-
ed before final judgment was render
ed.
But the great question in this con-
gressional campaign Is whether one or
a few men shall take the laws for this
great nation. or whether all Of the 391
members of the lower house shall have
a part i'm making those laws; wheth-
er this country shall have a constitu-
tional government or a government by
the speaker of the house.
MY opponent says that new mans
usefulness in congress is limited. as II
takes eight or ten years to get ac-
quainted and to get on 10 the ropes.
II this is true ! think IL is time you
sent some one down to congress who
will cut away those ropes and unwind
the red tape. so that II won't take eight