Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1909-03-02 | Page 4 | Uncle Joe Winces

UNCLE JOE WINCES Even Ev n Uncle Joe Cannons hide is not entirely impervious though it has had all the attributes of the pachyderm un nfl until until til dl recently Hitherto indifferent to criticism maintaining an attitude of lofty disdain for his assailants the yen ven venerable on erable crable speaker has at last taken to let letter letter letter ter writing in his own defense at once a confession conCession of weakness and a feeble effort at justification The foundation principles ne he says sa s referring to the rules were laid down more than a century ago by Jefferson and Madison Shades of the fathers Imagine Jeffersons opinion of rules that make it possible po sible for a man or of Cannons type to thwart the will ivill of ot the whole American people Fancy his opinion of rules that make it Impossible for Cor the minority to discuss any great measure or for the majority Itself to bring a bH bli before the house for a vote without the consent of Cannon and Dal Dalzen Dalzell zen zelt and Payne Picture the house In Jeffersons day tolerating for one on min nun minute minute ute the arbitrary rule of such a man as a athe the speaker and permitting him to de do defeat d feat legislation or carry it through without regard either to t public opinion or the needs of the nation Mr Ur Cannon knows as a well as any anyone one Onet Onea a t that the rules themselves owe their odium quite as much to his way of ad administering administering administering ministering them thom as s to t their vicious suppression of representative action A congressman under the tIle Cannon rules is hardly more than a wooden figure figurehead figurehead I head subject to the speakers will a subservient automaton possessing neither power to effect legislation or ot defeat it except as the speaker wills The result Is that the house of or representatives representatives represents nothing save what Cannon permits and the con congressman gressman on the floor is heard or sup suppressed suppressed suppressed pressed as pleases the czar of ot the house Paraphrasing the great Louis dic die dictum tum turn the speaker might truthfully say The House Im It