The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-05-01
VETERAN SPEAKER OF HOUSE
TELLS WHAT HE THINKS
ABOUT CHANGES.
MAKES ADDRESS TO CLUB
"UncIe Joe" Is One OF the Principal
Speakers at MiddleseS Clubs Cele.
bration OF the Anniversary Of General
Grants eirth-Delivers a Warm Shot
at the lnsurgent Element.

Boston. Mass, April 30-"when we
have to change the rules of the
house To- permit the minority to
dictate legislation on behalf OF special
interests. we viii be confronted with
the necessity of changing our consti-
tuition and all our conceptions of n
peoples government. where the major
ity shall legislate and accept RESPONSE
bility for the legislation
Speaker Joseph q. Cannon made the
foregoing declaration tonight H. adj
dressing the Middlesex club on tn. oc-
caslon OF celebrating the eighty eighth
anniversary of the birth OF General
Grant.
Speaker Cannon, after delivering n
eulogy upon the life of the great Amer
lean general and former president said
that he had been asked to say a word
about the rules.
Thomas u. Reed once said" the
speaker declared. "that the noise made
BY a small but loud minority In the
wrong. Is too often mistaken for the
voice Of the people and the voice Of
God. That remark applies to the dis
cussion Of the rules"
The speaker stated that the rules
were a development of l20 years; that
they were substantially as they had
been for n generation: that "A cam
paign against the rules made 90 years
ago brought out all the denunciation
made within the last two years. and
that on the former occasion 1t was
the loud minority trying Ia dictate
At>0AskI SDs~
A'he democrats were In the minority
In the 5lst congress" he said. but
they tried to dictate legislation
Speaker Reed and the majority who
were responsible for legislation refused
'to be dictated to- Reed counted a
quorum of these who were present for
mis- chief. but declared they were not
present for business. THAT action OF
Reel was denounced as 'czarism.' The
disc sslon became international. but
the supreme court sustained Reed and
so did the democratic party when 1t
came into power. II adopted what IL
had denounced as the Reed rules
Why this lass and fury? The old
cast.-the effort of the minority to
rule on the eve of the last presl-
detlial election the democratic leader
sou PIT To dictate legislation. The ma
jorjJy would not accept dictatlon. He
began a. filibuster which continued to
the end of the session. frankly stating
on the floor that the minority would
resist and embarrass. In every way
possible. all legislation unless certain
measures demanded by the minority
should be brought forward.
History repeated itself The demo-
eratl platform denounced the 'czar-
ism of the speaker just as the demo-
cratir platform did In 1890 The mi
porip had demanded legislation for
special Interests; not for the general
interest. There are other special II.
tereNs demanding that the r~earer ur,,
arbit'aiy power In their behalf. Waea
BE refused To violate the rules and
traditions OF the house. he was de-
nounred as czar"
In discussing the criticism OF Cen
eral Grant during his administration az
president Speaker Cannon found a
parallel In the attacks on the present
administration and inferred that this
administration would overcome all at
taeks as triumphantly as did Grant. 4.