The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-13
"UNCLE JOE" CANNON.
One of the Most Remarkable Figures
on Republican Side of House.


Washington Letter New York Post.
Strangers visiting the galleries of the
House of Representatives almost invari-
ably ask to have Joseph G. Cannon of
Illinois pointed out. In one way or an
other they have heard of him. and have
become interested In his personality. He
Is well worth looking at. In his capacity
Of chairman of the Committee on Appro-
priations, Mr.. Cannon holds the govern
ment purse-strings. The title watchdog
of the treasury cannot be correctly APP
piled to him, because it has already been
pre- empted by certain men in the House,
who have made 1t their business to bark
whenever the treasury is approached
"Unc,e Joe Is the man who listens to
the bark and finds out whether the dog
has been stirred up with cause or with
out. He has served for twenty years on
the same important committee, and has
for nearly eight years been its chair
man. In this record he surpasses any pre-
decessor. He has served twenty-five years
in Congress, and with the exception of
the period from 1891 to 1893, when he was
submerged by the Democratic tidal wave,
this service has been continuous.
The familiar title Uncle joe is q
tribute 20 Mr.. Cannon's approachable dis
position. There Is no department about
him. He is homey man of the rural
type, who hates buttoned waistcoats and
straight-back chairs. He early learned
that tables were made 20 rest ones feet
en-, and that there is no comfort like that
founded upon the shoulder-blades. With
the stump of a cigar clenched in the cor
ner OF his mouth and a glance directed
over the upper rims of his spectacles, he
is prepared 20 meet all corners, A little
burst of profanity may pave the way to
better understand ng. With him this is
merely notice to the other person that
all the conventional tiles are barred and
that the matter in hand must be treated
In matter-offact way. After that, he
Will proceed 10 deal with it like a diplo-
mat This is how It happens that he has
made a success Of public life His blunt,
quick manner and alarming explosives are
| only mask to a large modicum Of the
wisdom of this world.
A Quaker settlement, called New Gar
den, near Greensboro, N. c., was Mr.. Cam
mons birthplace. His parents were MEM
| bers of the Society of Friends and Joseph
| was educated in its doctrines. But he mar
| ried outside of the order, and there was
mutual announcement, the elders repudi 1T
ing Joseph, and Joseph repudiatng the
| elders. Ii is said that he began at this
| time to study the gentle art of swearing,
| just TO emphasize his repudia ton; for, ac-
| cording to the story, fatherly elder came
| to him with a proposal to return to the
| fold Young Cannon, who had begun to
make his mark, was Informed that ali he
would have to do to atone for his sin in
| becoming unequally yoked to a wording
| was TO say that he was sorry he had mar
ried Mary.
"But I'm BANKED If I'm sorry, and I'm
| BANKED If I'll say it, was young Cam
mons reply Whereupon diplomatic rela-
| tons were severed.
| h n
| when he was years old. and removed to
| Indiana, where they settled at Blooming
| dale, in Parke county 1t was here that
Joseph was brought up, and acquired, by
hard knocks, a little general education ami
| a smattering of the law. His father died
| when he was IA years of age, and he work.
ed in a country store to help support the
| family Later he removed to Blooming
ton and then to Terre Haute, where lie
regularly entered law office and mastered
| the rudiments of his profession In 1873,
| when % years of age, he decided to set up
| for himself in Tuscola, Douglas county.
| Illinois.
Young Cannon seemed to have the mon
| eymaking faculty well developed; for II
| is related that he had q comfortable for
| tune when he was elected to the Forty
| third Congress. This was the time In
| Illinois when county-seats were locating
and young lawyers sometimes undertook
| tain places, on a contingent fee. One
| lucky strike of this sort would give a
man enough real estate to keep him COM
Portable for life. Suffice to say that Mr.
| Cannon is now a banker, and a stock
holder in all the gas and street railroad
companies Of Danvilse and the eurround-
ing country
| In personal appearance, the subject OF
| this sketch Is peculiar He has a thin
| ford face, with high cheek bones, tawny
| hair, q smooth-shaven upper lip, and a
fringe of reddish-gray whiskers beneath
| the chin < black bow tie and a studied
| carelessness of dress are part of his make
up. II is in spite of his uncouthness and
his way of going al things that Cannon
| is a power. There is something there
more than mere show. BY many he is re-
| garded as a strong speaker, though no
one has ever called him an orator. Two
| things comprise the sum total of his for
ensic abilties-earnestness and common
sense. If these will not win his case, he
| fails. On the wrong side of an argument
| Uncle joe is weak He Is not an adept
| in sophistries and avoidances. True. he
| does occasionally wave the flag and make
| the bird of freedom scream. but he only
| resorts TO this when hard pressed. His
| manner while speaking Is a spec
tacle to make the angels weep He
| is constantly in motion--legs arms, fin
| gers, face and coat-tails. He is like
gas-engine working with defective valve
gear, and on a loose foundation. The
wrenching and racking which he under
goes Is on ordinary five-minute speech
seems as II II would be enough to lay him
up in the repair shop for a week. One Of
the funniest things ever seen in the
House was when Congressman Otey gave
an imitation--for 1t would be impossible
to burlesque-of one of Uncle Joe's"
speeches. He usually begins with the lit
tie finger OF the left hand linked into
that of the right. and for a while there is
struggle TO see whether he can pull
them apart Meanwhile he is slowly be-
ginning: "If my good friend from Mis-
sissippi will consider a minute" etc. BY
the time he has reached this point he
has thought of what he wants to say,
and has grown quite red IN the effort
to get the fingers separated. The next
stage OF the speech is a struggle between
the forefnger of one hand and the palm
OF the other. This is fierce bout, and
the palm gets severe beating. AS the
speech progresses the hands attack each
other in force, and there Is round OF
atch-as-catch-can. AS he reaches fhe