The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-11-04

preference to Mr.. Bede two years
ago because of his aYowed antago-
nism to the Gar of the House, JOS
eph G. Cannon, and the manner in
which during that campaign he
tore great holes in the atmosphere
and performed postgraduate stunts
in his condemnation of the speaker
has not been permitted to fade en-
tirely from the memory of man cen
though some of the editors of the
eighth congressional district have
kept very quiet about it while liv
ling on mortgages and hope of a
post office appointment. It was
therefore quite natural he should
give some excuse for his FIRST Off
cial act as congressman from this
district-his vote for Joseph G..
Cannon for speaker. And he did.
But Mr.. Miller learned some things
in his youth even though he may
never have read that old Biblical
paraphrase Thou shalt not lie,"
and before getting down to the bus
mess in hand spent much time in
spreading the salve where he con-
sidered 1t would cover the most OBJ
noxious alterations, soaring to per-
orations of oratory on divers and
various subjects and launching
forth in platitudinous praise of the
state of Minnesota and it's exalted
place among the commonwealths
of the republic. in a burst of par
| donable pride anent the growth and
industrial development of this new
northern empire, and rose to the
height of eloquence as he reviewed
the kaleidoscope progress, the mu-
nicipal improvements and the edu.
| cational and industrial advance
ment of the bright little city we all
feel proud to call "home."
But the more or less Honorable
Clarence finally ran out of adjec-
tives and other parts of speech
the same as we have-and gradu-
ally lowered the aeroplane in which
he had been soaring to the plane of
common man; and the rest of the
story occupied about two minutes
and fourteen seconds, or about half
as long as it would take black cat
on the back fence to wink twice at
the white spot on the moon. 1t was
simply a repetition of the stere-
typed story that he had voted
against Cannon "in the republican
caucus" but that, in order to have a
place at the pie counter, he voted as
the party caucus had dictated on
the floor of the house.
Clarence may have been telling
the truth-there is no record of the
"party caucus" and therefore no
| proof is obtainable TO the contrary
But admitting it as true-the idea
that the voters of the eighth district
sent him to Washington to repre-.
sent them in "party caucus" was
a new one, the ingenuity of which
is worthy a greater master mind
than is usually found behind pair
of sneaky, shifty, deceitful eyes.
And to cap it all, Clarence owned
right up that he wanted to go back
to Washington. He did not say
whether he wanted TO go back and
represent the eighth district in the
party caucus or in congress; in fact,
in the light of his promises during
the campaign of two years ago and
his subsequent vote for speaker, it
would make little hdifference to the
intelligent voter what he might
say; they would take his word for
it's true worth, which is considera-
bly, below par.
Miller's desire for re election may
be gratifed; it ought to be no trick
for anyone on the republican ticket
to gain an election in district with
a natural republican majority of
ten thousand or more. But Miller
realizes the possibility of defeat,
despite this fact, knowing that his
promises and his actions have not
been in keeping.