The Washington herald., 1914-08-08
Campaign BIunders in Maine.

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Among the great issues put forward by the Demo
Gratis Maine is Cannonism, and another is the tariff
On sugar 1t is said that these issues were imported
direct from Washington and were manufactured in
the National Democratic Committee headquarters
The Republicans have often charged the Democrats
with holding on to old threadbare issues that have
served their purpose and been forgotten This report
from Maine would appear to justify the Republican
charge and lead one believe that the Democratic
managers do not know how to take hold of new
issues or defend them after they have been made by
force of circumstances.
Six years ago. when Mr.. Bryan the candidate
for President against Mr. Taft and suffered the most
overwhelming defeat he experienced as the
Democratic leader, of the paramount issues was
"Cannonsm" to make the House of Representatives
responsive to the public will That issue did not help
Mr. Bryan for Mr.. Taft had popular plurality of
million and quarter votes, whereas in 1896 Mr..
Bryan ran only half million votes behind Mckinley
But the Democrats continued to harp the Can
non string in the Congressional election of 1910 while
their main note of discomfort the Payne tariff,
and they carried the House. Perhaps Cannonsm con-
;rbuted to their victory, though Cannon also
elected by large majority
Since the organization of the Sixty-second Con-
gress, Cannonism has been only embarrassment to
the Democratic majority in the House. They were
compelled by their own record to take the appoint
OF committees from the Speaker and they found
better place to lodge that power than in the chair
man of the Committee on Ways and Means, thereby
transferring the real leadership of the House from
the Speakers chair to the privacy of committee
room where members had to go, hat in hand, and file
their pledges to support the Underwood tariff bill
along with their requests for committee assignment.
Democratic members of the House, the poor
privilege of vocing their objection to tariff cuts
their own products on the floor of the House, and
through the Congressional Record to let their con-
suents know that they had least tried prevent
removing the protection from Louisiana sugar, Kan
sas wheat Illinois corn, Wisconsin butter, Maine po-
tatoes and Western meat products
1t also took some time for the Democratic House
to get away from the record against special rules,
but it has done it. and in the present House no one
breads to hear about Cannonism much as does
Chairman Henry, of the Committee Rules, he
has brought special rules into the House often
than did any committee under the old regime.
But just when Cannonism has been more COM
petey enthroned in the House than before here
comes some antedeluvan Democratic campaign artist
with flaming poster for the Maine campaign de-
claring The Democratic party drove Cannonsm from
the halls of Congress Are you for Cannonism or the
Democratic party?"
1t is enough to make Oscar Underwood and Rob-
ert Lee Henry suspect that some Democrat in Wash
ington is trying to dscredt them in their greatest
success in showing that the Democratic party can
legislate.
AS thoughSthis reversion to dead issues were not
enough, the Maine Democrats reminded that their
party took off the tariff sugar and sacrificed S6o-
10000 revenue without lowering the price of sugar
to the consumer, just at the time Louisiana Demo-
Gratis have repudiated their party, and Western Demo-
Gratis appealing for the restoration of the sugar
tariff to enable the United States to produce sugar
for the world, with German sugar expectation held
up by the European
There ought to be investigation to find out
who in Washington is sending this musty Demo-
cratic literature Maine 1t printed in 1908 for
Mr.. Bryans great campaign let the people rule and
it is just embarrassing to Mr.. Bryan as Secretary
of State as it is to the Democratic leaders in the
House of Representatives. Has any one heard Mr..
Bryan refer to Cannonism or sugar since March 4,
1911? Issues that manufactured for an offensive
campaign often embarrassing in defensive CAM
paign and Cannonism is the chief virtue of the
Democratic House. But some politicians never learn.