The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1910-05-04


open warfare with such political rel
resentatives of those interests q
Speaker Cannon and Senator Aldricl
In the course of an exhaustive speech
covering 70 pages Of the Congre.
sional Record, in regard to the needle
financial reforms, he said:
THE government should be takel
out Of the banking business complete
" and absolutely, and its flnancia
functions should be limited to thos'
OF a properly regulated municipality
The government should cease by I'll
operations In the collection of reve
nue. to have any more effect upon thu
commercial situation in any com
munity, city, or part Of the country
than the transaction of an equal
amount Of business would have there
If carried on by the banks or the bust
ness houses"
In speaking of the manner In which
the house members were chosen, Mr.
Fowler said.
Criticism Of Present Methods.
1.-THE one essential qualification that
seemed to be sine qua non was that
q man was completely ignorant of the
whole matter.
Nor could the commission rely
upon the speaker of the house for in
formation, for, referring to this sub
Ject, he said to me:
II do not want to discuss thing
that don't know d-n thing about
Nor could they look to the chair
man OF the national monetary COM
mission, who, If the New York papers
quoted him correctly, stated on his
return from Europe that while he
thought year and a half ago that no
knew all about the subject, he had
found out that he did not know any.
thing about It,
"This confession by Mr.. Aldrich of
absolute and abject ignorance was re-
Enforced by the fact that, according to
the newspaper, he stated in Kansas
City, when he was swinging around
the circle, that he agreed with the
foreign bankers when they said our
banking practices were barbaric.'
"Mr. Aldrich has been in congress
30 years. Has he during all that time
suggested one single thing to change
these barbaric practices? Has he not
stood at the door of the senate with
the bludgeon of power in his hands
ready to paralyze every proposal to
lift this curtain of Egyptian darkness
and barbarism?
Where was he when the great fight
for the gold standard was being
waged? Did he open his mouth then
even once in behalf of this important
reform? If so, when and where?
Let the American people inquire
and ascertain, If they possibly can,
why absolute ignorance of the sub
ject was sine qua non to an appoint
ment upon the monetary commission"
Discuss Power Of Speaker.
Agitation of the question of limit.
Ing the power of the speaker still con-
Einues to hold foremost place in the
of members Of congress, al
though there is no movement at pres
emit to bring the subject Immediately
onto the floor of the house.
Judge Miles Poindexter's proposition
o make Asher Kinds the speaker has
'aused great amount of discussion,
lot only among members of congress
ut In the press of the country AS a
rule those who have lined up
Nth the Big Business interests of the
ountry take the view that the house
I'LL never divest the speaker com.
letely OF his power and make of that
fficer a mere monitor over it's proceed
lgs. The Progressives throughout the
ountry, on the other hand, are almost
unit In the belief that 1t is but
uest1on of short time, some say
Nv months, and many contend before
lie end of this session, when the
ouse will take the step which will
ompletely divest the speaker of his
over over legislation.
Real Meaning Of cannonlsn.
The Progressive Republicans are
'nv1nced that the time has arrived
hen there has been enough of alb
ract discussion and that the people
ust understand what Cannoism really
cans. Cannonism Is not a personal
y 1t is not power centered in par
cular man. 1t is a machine that
lcks committees In the interest of
g Business, which furnishes the cam
Ign funds to perpetuate the machine.
Is not partisan. II the Democratic
lrty came into control it would ex-
just as 1t now exists, provided no
lange were made in the present sys-
m of conducting the business Of the
'use. Cannonism is a growth. The
atement has been frequently made
at the speaker has always been q
ember of the committee on rules.
le first speaker to be made a men,
r of the committee on rules was a
eat parliamentarian. He was James
Orr. He was made member of the
mmittee on rules because at that
ne, the late f1fties, the function of
Is committee was merely to report
the beginning of the session Of con-
oSS set Of ru1ao tn r0vorn tho DO