-mrtr-'r- piwriy
The Commoner
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 3G
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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. - '
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