The sun., 1910-02-15
CANNON ANSWERS CRITICS
TAKES THE FLOOR TO SPEAK
on RIVER AND HARBOR BILL.
Then switches 90 the Subject Sf Se~s-
paper Abuse OF Him and Defence OF
the House Rules Ma JOrity Must Have
the Machinery to Transact Business.

the MacninerS 10 NrNnsNct uustnees.
WASHINGTON, Feb. l4.--Speaker Cannon
stepped down from his throne to-day and
delivered a speech from the floor OF the
House. Uncle Joe started out to in
dorse the river and harbor bill. which
WAS up for consideration before the
House in committee OF the whole, but he
soon switched TO the subject OF news
paper abuse and the rules OF the House.
To see the Speaker defending the rules
from the floor was sight that cheered
the hearts Of the insurgents They took
the Speakers words as the best evidence
that he is worried over the campaign
being waged against him. especially the
talk Of an enlargement Of the Rules Com
mittee from five to eleven members. II
was the first time in the present session
that he has spoken from the floor.
The Speaker had handed his gsvel to
q representative Dslzell OF Pennsylvania
end had sauntered over to the Republican
side Of the chamber. He was listening
TO the rather desultory debate. when
suddenly the spirit seemed to move him
End up he jumped Here is whst the
Speaker had to s&y about the rule of the
majority in the House:
In the great mss of business that is
covered by 10000 bills pending before the
various committees no man ever lived
who could exhaust all Of them. We
must follow the committees. No Con-
.gress will ever exist that can ever consider
all Of the 80 900 bills unless God in His
infinite mercy lengthens the hours OF the
Day and the days of the yesr: II is for
MS while we occupy temporarily the places
that we do occupy to preserve the ma
chmery by which a majority can transact
the public business and to preserve it,
boxing into the faces Of the gentlemen
IN the other side. so that when the wis
dom Of the American people end the
favor Of God may give perchsnce in the
funess Of years a majority to them. they
will have the rules and the order OF pro-
cedure. the product of the experience of
I1o years mhampered.
Thus they may run the business OF this
House and glorify in the consideration
of the river and harbor bill and all other
bills for the advantage not OF men OF
their organization alone but for all the
,0000. 600 Of people. And while we SEEM
,ngy &rut and fret, deolaim and are inter-
'iewed constantly in the public prints
Notwithstanding all that. the people Of the
United States will hold responsible from
time to time the party in power for legis-
stve results. and unless that party has
the machinery and the procedure to
achieve those results they will not have
full power. although they may be in the
majority
Il expect that we will continue to re-
ceive all kinds Of correct information and
faxed informat tion that is fished for here
. and there in order that our great metro
politan journals. at least some OF them
may continue to make their papers from
lay TO day. like the Yankee made his
'azors, to sell. IIaughter.l But de-
sire TO say 60 gentlemen on this side Of the
House and TO gentlemen on that side OF
the House that out of the two great organi-
zations, the minority from time to time
putting the maj jority on its good behavior
End seeking to become the majority. will
come correct legislation and correct
appropriations and IL we lose sight OF our
Importance and OF our own position for
The time being there will come in our
places better and wiser men who win not
lose sight Of the necessity. Where re-
sponsbility rests there must be power for
the majority 90 move on"
Cannons reference to the possibility
in the remote future OF a Democratic
House was greeted with laughter. but it
likely that the Speaker intended this
as delicate hint OF what might be in
store for the Republican party II the
chickering's and controversies within the
party continue. There Is no doubt that
the Speaker is more exercised at this time
than he has ever been before over the pos
slbility of the success of the movement
against him. He has spent q lot OF time
recently on the floor Of the House hob
nobbng with and buttonholing the MEM
bers, and his obvious desire to be agreeable
has excited a good deal OF comment.
Before he referred TO the rule OF the
majority in the House the Speaker had
turned his mind back TO the time when he
voted for the creation Of the Mississippi
River Commission. He said that he had
70 meet the opposition then OF great papers
Chicago and justify his vote TO an sgri-
cultural district.
But thanked God then. a. thank
God now said the Speaker. that that
constituency had the breadth and intelli-
Fence and the patriotism to stand by me
at the polls'
The Speaker said that he had gathered
enough kindergarten instruction on his
recent trip down the Mississippi River to
ieei justified for his former vote and also
70 justify his voting for and supporting
me present river and harbor bill as
member Of Congress.
We have ninety million people in this
country now,' said the Speaker. when
tuLy Populated and developed we win
nave hve hundred millions. Already we
nave almost one-half Of the railroad
mileage Of the earth. carrying one-third
The products OF the civilized world
pack and forth 10 market. Long before
me i've hundred million people are here
We are 70 depend alone on transporta-
uon hy rail we will have to multiply the
Ialroad mileage by two. by three and