The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, September 18, 1908, Page 2, Image 2
-mrtr-'r- piwriy The Commoner VOLUME 8, NUMBER 3G 2 u I1' It f.v: ,7 ! A REPLY TO JOSEPH G. CANNON The following Associated Press dispatch explains itself: Olnev, 111., Sept. 10. Giving a detailed statement of the amount of property owned by him, which he placed at $150,000 at the out aide William J. Bryan, democratic candidate for president, in a speech here today declared as false the accusation of Speaker Joseph G. Cannon, made yesterday at Springfield, I1L, that he was worth a million dollars and called upon the speaker to be .as frank in making known to the world the amount of his own earthly pos sessions.. In the course of his remarks Speaker Cannon-is credited with saying that Mr. Bryan has accumulated a million dollars sell ing wind and ink to the public. The democratic candidate referred to Speaker Cannon as the third man in influence in the government, "if not even above the vice president, in his power to influence legislation," and said that it was only fair that the speaker should apply to himself the same rule that he applied to me and take the public into his confidence." Of Mr. Cannon Mr. Bryan said: "Mr. Cannon, in his speech before the republican state conven tion yesterday, has this to say of me: 'How about Bryan, a man of theories, a man who has a breaking out of the mouth; a man who agreed with the populists only a dozen years ago that no man could honestly earn a million dollars and that when ny man had that he was a plutocrat. But, a man dominating .the demo cratic party and the greatest advertising agent on earth through his papers; through his books and tntdugh his lectures, is, in i I am that is more than I ought to have earned, or whether I have earned it honestly. --.' ""And now, having answered the criticism of Mr. Cannon and shown that his accusation is false, I think I am justified in asking him to be as frank with the public as I have been. "He began holding office in 1861, when I was aryear old, and . during the last forty-seven years he has, .held .office niore i&an forty years of the time, and about thirtyrfive years of that .time he has been a"member of congress and has; been drawing" a salary tjiat the members of congress thought so inadequate that the salary' has 'recently been increased. He ought to tell us whether he has made any money lecturing or writing that, is, by selling 'wind and ink,' to choose his own choice language. He has been greatly hampered in the accumulation of money by the strict attention to public' duties, and yet he is reputed to be wealthy. If he will tell us just, how much he is worth we can then guess how much he might have been worth had. he fceen free .to devote his talents to money making. Being, the third man in influence in our government, coining next to the vice president if not, even above , the vice president in his power to influence legislation! 'is 'ifcvubt fair that he should apply to himself the sam' ruie that he applies to me and' take the public into his confidence? Let him tell us how much he is worth and how he made it. Let him iell us what, he has been Selling, to whom he sold it,, and how much he got for it, If, he thinks that the wealth of, a presidential candidate and the course of such , (a candidate's 'income shall be, known, wll he, dsny.tatvtftejpeak er's wealth and his source .of income should' be known$" Mr. Bryan charged that Sneaker (Cannpn,'. with, 1$eJ$upport of James S.' Sherman, the renublicariyioe,.prfisidehtialiicandidateiMha.d candidate, a successful chautaUqua lecturei?, Who has m'aUe a million ., 'strangled legislation I in the house in spite of the recommendaticms" dollars selling' wind and ink to thd piil)Uc;r ' , J. , ' of the president. ' , ,;::i!,M,i!;,ft!;,vf3'' "Many exaggerated statements have. .been mada in. regard to ? 'presume, said Mr, .Bryan, , that if the repubUcans-tSucceed- my .ei been think,; migbt., otherwise be considered too personal a matter? discuslion. J was. worth about :$3,Q00.When I was gress, . X served four years and by careful economy I $3,000 and $4,000, or about $1,000 a year, so that when I went, out ua uuugieaa m wie spring oi oao, i was worm aoOUU ijb,UUU,i or i $7,000. During the period that elapsed between the end of my congressional terms and my nomination for the presidency (about a year and four months) I was engaged in speaking and lectur ing and added but a small sum to my savings. After the election in 1896, my earning power as a lecturer was largely enhanced by the prominence which, the campaign had given me. My bodk 'The First BattV-rrbrought, me- $17,000 and Igave an, equal amount 'of the profits to the various committees that had carried, on the cam paign of 1898. My lectures have been profitable and my-writings have paid me well, but no one attends the lectures unless he wants to do so and no one buys what I. write unless he is interested in reading it. "More than half of my time since 1896 has been given to gratuitous work and yet I have been able to support myself and accumulate property which I would estimate at about $125,000, but as one can never accurately say what property is worth until he sells it, I will fix $150,000 as the outside limit, the maximum of my wealth and I am willing.to leave the. public to determine whether informed, worth more than, $l,000,00d'Tl . "A little later in his speech he drops the qualifying phrase and s, as if upon his own knowledge: -There stands-the democratic says a&thly possessions, but this is. the- first time the statement has and Mr. Cannon is elected,-he will again be. speaker, andMrti Can--made by any man of political standing or responsibility ! I ' L non represents What is known as the. 'stattd'pat' 'idea, in';'i)bhtics.'' T am justifies,, there of & il stoehMhg; of this suhiewiilchr ,,. - He ,arepTgnte the theor thatWirelf arid thainothinOeeMio' for pubUcj be changed,-and he has many people who agrea.witvhj&,tethe elected tO'cOn principal agreement that -he. finds is, tamong those who ohavie' their! saved between hancf in other people's pockets and do aiafe-want to be disturbed1. ' ' ' To,. nJn4.- ---.v,4. il-vi jrwJilte uJ-J'i.,JlL!JlUlW!-, ' nou si success. tl ' "r ' ' ' '" ta '..,;'. ., r.. MEvery man who isLf.eastwifi: on .nrivileffe?: hev-saideverv fcian who' if fattening on governmental favoritism IsttnxMrs that' ,' he shall, be,, elected in this district and that the'retibklian papr'ty shall carry the next campaign. It is natural that these 'people, .should vote for him ; he is for them, and they are only showing an- expected gratitude when they favor his re-election to the house aiid the .speakership. It is entirely natural that these people, should be opposed to a democratic victor, f on the democratic party is in favor of the. doctrine of 'equal rights to all and special privileges to none. ' " ... "Mr. Cannon does not represent the reforms for which Mr. Roosevelt has contended. We do not mean to say ttiat IWEr. Roose velt has contended for enough, reforms, nor that he has gone as far as he ought to have gone in the refornrfor Which he has stood. But we can say that the speaker of the, house has, been opposed 'to him when the president has stood for reform and that the speaker of the house has thwarted him whenever possible in making any progress toward reform.' ' THIS IS THE STORY The moBt riota'ble and important feature of the' opening of the republican national campaign at Youngstown, Ohio, Saturday, waV riot the' speech of Governor Hugheai nor ye tliat of Senator Beveridge, It was the part Hie steel trust took in this"fortnal launching ef the 'Taft ' canipaign In Mr. Taft'a own etate " The, Associated Press dispatches briefly indi cated what happened in this paragraph- of ib report: "Along the rust-red waters of thfe Mahoning river, today the great mills of the Carnegie works of the United States Stejel corporation, th Republic Iron and Steel company, and the Youngstown Sheet and Tube company wore quiet, for a three-day holiday had beep declared Including Sunday and Labor Day. Youngstown is a steel town, and the brawn and muscle of her chief industry formed the body of the parade, which preceded the discharge of the heavy political ordnance." - The extended special report which the CIn- clnnati Enquirer give of the big meeting throws more, light on this highly 'Interesting' feature. We quote from the Enquirer of Sunday, Sep tember 6:( f v . .. ,-r the para .which .preceded .the,,, speaking (n,., r iPfe'0el5,'V. over 1,0,9,9 , -men, in,lin,e. qf.tliese mpre ,than-iq.0fl0 fiama.rbmt the steel mills. Supplied with uniforms atUbe expense pf the companies., the, tellers, presbpte'd a strHcingappearanc,e as. they ,marcb.ed. past the. reviewing stand.. Because of the opening a shutdown of the mills was ordered till next.Mbr day and the occasion made a holiday. But few of these workers attended the meeting in "Wick park. This was easiljr seep by the lack of uni forms in the crowd. Probably not over one tonth of the turnout came to hear the speeches, They found other attractions that the holiday furnished, and were content to let others listen. There were thousands of Hungarians, Rou- . manians and other SJay people, in, this. division. Each man wore a khaki suit and carried a cane or flag furnished by his employers.' They were. divided Into brigades and ""were orgdnize.1 on military lines, having regimental apd' brigade officers. '' ..' "One of the unusual incidents occurred when the parade halted .attheJSlksJ. club.-. vSpme one cklledfor a cteer for Taffc. Out of the uniformed ranks 'tir response 'came-'a rdaring shout for Bryan and the column move'd driV' , i "This 1st the1 tetory. It'-tfarries itfl"6'Wn'vargu meht, nd- requires 'very- little cohameht by way of. elucidatlont"-Oriiiiha Worl&'HeraiaV' ' l5 la && tffi The manager of the. - republican press bureau gleefully reprints .a letter from a labor leader who advises the members of his brother hood to think well before voting, ffhe work ingman who thinks well is lost to the republican party this year t - - . Of course Mr. Dupont. of .the powder trust thinks this criticism, of his., leadership is merely a puff of smoke. - ' ii.mi niiiitiianiftiftlirliirtfctiiafiiilihl i Jwtn.yiMrtirniimwi m tmnwlt ,Mi k"" wmammmmmmmmmmimmmmm BBBBISSSSSBSBB