The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-12-16

IN tazt town until his death. n 1851
and there his Ooy Joe received Els
early education and training he was
II years old when bis father died. aad
AZ that age he started oas for himself.
his first work being as a clerk in q
counrry store. re was so emp5oye1
Until he had attained his naposity,
when he began the study OF law. and
was admitted TO the bar at Terre
Hzure in 1855.
The next year Mr.. Cannon moved 20
Tuseola. III, and in 1851 he was elect
ed district attorney. He held that Of
fee for seven years, Or until 1858, and
in 1872 he was elected to Congress
from that district II was al that time
that Joe Cannon began TO figure in ma
tionzl affairs. The district has been
changed twice since his first election
on. Mr. Cannon still represents a large
part Of the territory which was IN his
first district
Mr.. Reeds Tribute.
Uncle Joe has been called the
Watch Dog OF the Treasury" but he
Is much more than that. He is the
adiuster of the treasury and sees that
the revenues of the government are
so appropriated as TO do the greatest
amount Of good 10 tne greatest num-
Der OF the people. Speaker Reed said:
Joe Cannon is the one indispensable
member OF lie House, Every other
man could have mis- place filled 1T
once should he be taken away. but
don't know how or when We could fin
Mr.. Cannon's place on the committee
on appropriations
Some man will have 10 grow up into
the place when il is TO be filled ~
another. and he will have TO acquire
knowledge and experience. as has
Uncle Joe" by long study and hard
work
ANY man could BE watch dog IF
| the treasury" and sit down to oppose
/ spending the money But the man who
wisely appropriates that money in
/ good times and bad. when there is a
/ surplus and when there is a deficit:
! keeps the government wheels going
/ and provides for public works. without
/ getting outside the revenues. must he
a business man capable OF DIRECTING
the greatest business enterprise in the
world-for the United States govern
/ ment is the biggest business enter
/ prise in the world, and the chairman
OF the committee on appropriations
1 comes as near running it as any man
/ in the government. not excepting the
President himself.
Services in Other Directions.
Conspicuous as has been Uncle
Joe" in appropriations. he has not
| ignored other questions. For nearly
thirty years there has not been {
great issue-reforms of government
CURRENCY. tariff. increase of the nav
internal improvements. shipping bill
reorganization of the army. the Mica
ragua canal, the spanish war-befor'
the American Congress that "Uncl'
Joe" has not taken part in the consid
Grafton. He took an active part in tn
formation of and the debate on tn
Mckinley bill, and also the Dingte'
bill. He was one of the dominan
forces in passing the currency bill
and all the SPANS war legislation
He is now a member of the committe
on insular affairs and second in ran
only TO the chairman. He was place.
there because this new committee !
to deal with the questions touchin
Porto Rico and the Philippines He
regarded as one of the safest men /
public life. and he is one OF the ba
ance wheels on this new committee
Aggressive in Debate.
Uncle Joe" in debate is earnes
and aggressive He has the reputa
ton of being a fighter on the floor, be
cause he had TO fight a great man
4 60,
which he regarded as unwise. Blu
there is not a rAndlier heart In COZ
gress than that which beats in tn
breast of Uncle Joe" Cannon. an
there is no man in Congress more al
pealed to for help than is he. He
consulted BY the President and Can
, | net members. and by the Senate lea'
ers. and his influence is sought b
1o,n sides to every great controvers
. in Congress, like LAT over the Port
Rico tariff Bue he remains the mos
!, democratic member of the House
! In debate Mr.. Cannon has the ma
nerisms of the frontier lawyer of fort
wears ago. He uses the plainest, sir
plest. and most direct language TO -
press his ideas. he most, and I
has a fund of homely SMILES and er
e grams that point his speeches to mai
u them unique examples of force. If nj
T gems of thought and expression.
; Uncle Joe's" gestures, like h
: speech. are more forceful than grac
L full. ard when in debate he begins
p I push IN his sleeves. like an old har
shell baptist circuit rider of the We
u in the frontier times. every spectat'
;, knows that he is ready to fight. az
q will as near il in parliamentary pra
tice and aebate as is possible. Yet i
' man in Congress has finer sense
& humor or can touch sentiment wi
tenderer hands than he. He loo
: what he is in public nfs-the gnarl'
u ana sturdy oak which mas resisted q
:. storms of public life for the last for
y years.
y