New-York tribune., 1910-08-21
WHY he SHOULD RETIRE.


We are asked by a correspondent
whose letter we publish in another col
ump to state what Speaker Cannon has
done to make il advisable for other Re
publican Representatives in Congress,
formerly his supporters, Ito repudiate
him''-to the extent of announcing that.
if elected. they will not vote for his re-
nomination in the Republican caucus.
The Tribune. commenting last Friday on
Representative Longworth's interview,
said that his attitude was logical and
that his protest against Mr.. Cannon's ef-
forts to force an irrelevant issue upon
the voters was fully justified. We
gladly give the reasons for that opinion.
We think that the revolt in the House
Of Representative against the system
of one-man rule in force there has the
approval of a large majority Of the vot-
e1-S Of both parties. Neither party prin-
ciple nor party regularity was involved
in the Nsue raised, which was whether
the Speaker should continue to appoint
The Committee on Rules and serve as its
chairman or whether the House itself
should choose the committee, the
Speaker being made ineligible for mem
bership That was a mere detail Of
parliamentary administration in the
House The Tribune has for some years
past believed that the powers of the
Speaker were excessive and were being
used to discourage freedom of thought
and action in the lower branch of Con-
cress and to destroy its sense Of respon-
sibility TO the voters The Speaker.
nominally the agent OF the House. had
in reality been converted into its master
and had become accustomed to thinking
and acting in its behalf. Once elected,
bis authority was so unlimited as to
give him absolute control oe legislation.
We considered that an unwholesome
situation. and long before insurgency, as
ii is now known, was heard Of in Wash
ington we urged an amendment of the
rules which. hy making the committees
elective instead Of appointive, would re-
store a larger mea sure Of responsible
self-government.
Afr Cannon and his supporters pre-
ferred TO retain the old system, because
It kept the control of the lower branch
of Congress in the hands of the Speaker
and a few Gf his lieutenants. When the
demand for q frser system became
strong enough TO upset the autocratic
order. Mr.. Cannon attacked the Repub-
Leans who favored the change as trai-
tors to the party He confused loyalty
20 him and &c the existing system with
loyalty to the principles Of Republican
ism and TO home sentiment, which had
become weary of the Cannon autocracy
and its fruits in the way Of political
leadership
When the campaign for a new House
opened and, Representative began to
seek denomination, Mr. Cannon went on
the stump in Kansas and elsewhere and
assailed Republican supporters of the
new order as traitors and Democrats,
and asked for their defeat on the ground
that they hai restricted his powers as
Speaker Logically his assault put upon
the candidates whose nomination he
favored and on Representative who had
stood by him in the rules fight last
March the burden Of seeming to COM
nit themselves to the Speakers vindica-
of the old regime. Few of his former
supporters are so blind as not to realize
that such a revival is both impracticable
and undeSira bic. The House has shown
q remarkable advance in legislative eff
cheney since the rules were amended
and the country is thoroughly satisfied
with the change and opposed to a re-
lapse to old conditions Many former
supporters Of Mr.. Cannon have been de
feated for denomination because Of their
association with what Is popularity
known as "Cannonism." Others who
have won renomina tons feel that they
would greatly weaken themselves if they
should be forced into the attitude of
asking their constituencies TO re-elect
them for the purpose of restoring the
Speakers autocracy. We think that Mr..
Cannon ought to see that such an issue
should be kept out Of the Congressional
campaign. His availa bility as candi-
date for Speaker terminated when the
system OF which he was the representa-
tive was overthrown. The propriety Of
his withdrawal as candidate for the
speakership is obvious, since his con-
tinuance in the field unnecessarily en-
courage factionalism and Injuries the
chances Of Represents tives whose
friendship for him is now subjectlng
them to SeriouS embarraSs