Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-08-29
cdisor Times Republican:

you have published para graph from
the Nevada Representative, on "Mr
| Cannon's Fame" the publication OF
which by you leads me to believe thai
possibly you may agree with it. The
! Nevada Representative has generally
been right on political questions, but
as a progressive myself, who has been
| in the battle in the ranks since he first
began to vote, I purpose to show. state
ment by statement, If you will permit
me to have the space, wherein the
| Representative is in error:
"Mr. Cannon will lose nothing by his
retirement from the speakership," says
the Representative. The reply to this
is that he will lose the political power
and the influence which comes from his
power as speaker to give insigniticants
influence by committee appointments
This power has been the glory of Mr.
Cannon. When he retires, he will be
lost, and the probabilities are he will
not live long, but will die of despond
ency.
He has beaten the record already for
continuous service in that exalted Of
flee, and the moment the fight over his
office ends the universal recognition of
his work will come
The reply to this is that Mr.. Cannon
is a relic of the days gone by, and of
the methods which we who are pro-
gressives hope have passed forever,
methods in which things were run
without the people having much to say
about it. Mr.. Cannon's reputation and
fame will be like that of the last king
in a country in which democracy has
replaced monarchy
But the administration which he
has supported and which now under
takes to relieve itself of him will pro-
fit nothing by its action
To this we say that the support of
the administration by Cannon has al
ways been of doubtful nature. The
administration instead of being sup
ported by Cannon, has simply acquies-
ced in Cannons influence because it
believed that for policy sake it was
necessary to do 50. in order TO accom-
plish. Roosevelt did the same thing,
and probably for the same reasons. In
stead of condemning Cannon, Roose-
Welt, in language which was made pub
lie, eulogized the sage of Danvile.
The controversy with the republican
party has progressed to a stage where
it can be stilled only by the elimina-
ton of Taft. and 1t is safe to say that
not in the whole country will the presi-
dent win one real friend by his present
abandonment of Cannon. while of Can
mons friends and admirers who will
sicken of the presidents conduct in the
matter, there are multitudes," contin
ues the Nevada editor
In what way is the president indebt-
ed to Cannon? When was Cannon NOV
ed into support of the administration
thru love Of Taft? Cannon opposed
Taft for president in the last repub!i-
can national convention, to the last
ditch. and went down opposed TO Taft,
not only because Cannon would have
liked the presidency. for there was lit
tie prospect that he could have been
elected if nominated, but because he
was opposed to Taft on principle. The
progressives were for Taft, with pos
sibly the exception of the Nevada Rep
resentative. If l recollect right it had
some reason for opposing him, other
than standpat or progressive.
Mr.. Cannon's fault. if he have a real
political fault is that he is so regular
in his repubicanism. that he has certi-
fed to the president whore he could not
possibly be in sympathy and has per-
Hlltlti nI1lStlI 10 ne lllc get VI al =
rows that were really aimed at the
administration" says the Representa-
tive
Let all other progressives disa gree
with the Nevada Representative here.
sacrificing heroo Say rather that
Cannon has made political capital. and
supported his declining influence. out
-, l,n y 10
administration. when like members Of
the Iowa Taft Club, he has had no
other love for the administration than
that he could make capital for himself
by maintaining that he is supporter
Of the administration. when in fact he
has endeavored to use his influence
with the administration for his own
private ends. and his own political
aims. Have Cannon's friends been real
supporters of the administration? The
New York incident ought to silence all
in this. 1t has at last been made
public. even to the satisfaction Of the
president, that Cannon, ct. AL. have
been endeavoring to pose as friends Of
the president, for their own purposes.
Why then, it may be asked. didn't Taft
sooner repudiate Cannon? But it
will be remembered that during the last
days of Roosevelt's administration.
Cannon and his friends laughed at
message after message which Roose-
welt sent to congress, recommending
legislation. Have we forgotten the
celebrated edo nothing congress?
Have we forgotten that If Roosevelt
had continued as president, something
radical must have been done. or else
methods different than he had pursued
would have had to be resorted to?
Many of US We're impatient then, that
Roosevelt did not publicly denounce
Cannon and his kind. But did he do it?
No. and but a short time before he
had said that Cannon had been of great
assistance to him. No administration
can afford quickly to break with the
speaker of the house when he is of the
same political party. But all things
come" it is said, "to those who wait"
The progressives have forced the
speaker off the rules committee, and
it is quite likely they will enforce still
further reforms, and the president will
then be less under the necessity of ac-
quiescing in the acts of the speaker,
and the speaker will probably be more
in touch with enlightened sentiment
in the country
But" says the Nevada Representa-
tive szrbop ba (r,aanjpp Ca0DOn( is