The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-13
MIN THY FEARED
Why Oklahoma People Dread
ed Cannon's Opposition.
UNCLE J0ESPECULIARITIES
His Humble Origin and His
Profanity.
UNCLE JOE'SPECULlARITIES

|
the bill in Oklahoma were suddenly
alarmed by the news that "Uncie Joe
Cannon of Illinois, was against it. That
alarm in Oklahoma was greatly among
| the formerly Of Illinois people who knew
who Uncle Joe Cannon was and how dan
gerous is his opposition.
The truth of the matter is that Cannon
has not always been favorable TO Free
Homes and his opposition in former
Congress was diverted by a personal ap-
peal TO him 10y Dennis Flynn. This
! time he was for Free Homes, but he be-
| Heved it was in the way of a general
appropriation bill and wanted 70 put
Free Homes aside for a few days, thing
! which might have been fatal.
But Uncle Joe" was assured that
haste would be made. rested content and
| voted for the Free Homes bill.
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 watch dog
of the Treasury cannot be correctly ap-
| piled 10 him, because it has already been
| preempted by certain men in the House.
who have made it their business to bark
| whenever the Treasury is approached
| Uncle 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 chairman
| In this record he surpassed any predeces-
scr. He has served twenty-five years in
! Congress and with the exception of the
| period from 1891 to 1898. when he was
submerged by the Democratic tidal wave.
! this service has been continuous
The familiar title Uncle Joe" is a trib-
ute TO Mr. Cannon's approachable dis
position. There is no department about
him He is a homely man OF the rural
type. who hates bottoned waistcoats and
straight backed chairs. He early learned
that tables were made to rest ones feet
on, and that there is no comfort like
that founded upon the shoulder-olades
With a stump of a cigar clenched in the
corner of his mouth and a glance direct
ed over the upper rims of his spectacles,
he is prepared to meet all corners. A
little burst Of profanity may pave the
way to better understandings With him
this is merely a notice to the other per-
son that all the couventionalitiss are
barred. and that the matter in hand must
be treated in a matter7o of fact7way. After
that, he will proceed to deal with il like
a diplomat. This is how ii happens that
he has made a success of public life. His
blunt, quick manner and alarming tx
pletives are only a mask to a large mo-
d!cum Of the wisdom Of this world.
Quaker settlement. called New Gar
den, near Greensboro. N. c., was Mr..
Cannon's birthplace His parents were
members of the Society of Friends, and
Joseph was educated in it's doctrines But
he married outside of the order, and
there was a mutual announcement. the
elders repudiating Joseph and Joseph re-
pudiating the elders. It is said that he
began at this time to study the gentle
art Of swearing, just to emphasize his
repudiation; for, according to the story.
a fatherly elder came 70 him with pro-
posal to return to the fold. Young Can
non. who had begun to make his mark
was informed that all he would have to
do to atone tor his sin in becoming IN
equally yoked Il a wOrldling was IA say
that he was sorry he had married Mary
But I'm blanked II I'm eorry. and I'm
BANKED II I'll say it." was young can
mons reply. Whereupon diplomatic rela-
tons were severed.
Cannon's parents left North Carolina
when he was four years old. and removed
to Indiana. where they settled at Bloom
ingdale in Parbe county. Il was here
that Joseph was brought IN and ac1ulr-
ed, by hard knocks. . little general ed
ucation and a smattering cf the Law. HIS
father died when he was fourteen years
Of age, and he worked in a country store
to help support his family. later he re-
moved to Bloomington and then to Terre
Haute, where he regularly entered a law
Office and mastered the rudiments ~ his
profession. IN 1858 when TWENTY-FIVE
years Of age he decided 70 set I'D for
himself in Tusc0Ia Douglas county. II
Young Cannon seemed 10 have the
money making faculty well DEVELOPED. for
II is related that he had a com Portable /
fortune when ne was elected - the Forty
third Congress. This was the time n
Illinois when countv-sests w=rc Iocs ted. (
ard young lawyers sometimes undertook
the task Of obtaining the honor FOR Ger
tain places. on a contingent fee One
lucky strike ot This sort you'd give a /
man real estate enough to keeD him CON- I
Portable for life. Suffice to fay that Mr. /
Cannon is now banker. and STOCK /
holder in all the gas and street railroad 4
companies o. Dauyllle and the. surround /
ing country.
In personal appearance Cannon IL -
culiar He has a thia. fo-i3 fac. VITA f
high cheek bones. tzwny hair. a Hmo9-a I.
shaver upper Iiq. and q fringe y reddish
gray whiskers beneath his cain. back
bow tie ard q : udied careieEsness e
arsss are part of his makeup. Il IS g.
spite of his u1cou;hress ard his gsy %
gong al things ;hat Csnaoa IS 4 power
There IS something the-e more than -ers
show By many he fs REGARDED az q strong
speaker. though 10 ere has ever ca3.e9
1Irn an orator Two Things comprise TIE
.uua total o. bis forensic i.tses-earn-
zstncss and comm sense. y ,aesa ri
1ct sin his ease d laIs On IRE SHo1E
s1e q 81 argument uc3s Ioe~ - weak
-Ie Is rot an sdert n s1ghsst-ies ard
.vgs6aaces True. BE does oceas-oaaHr
wave she Gag and MAKE fhs bird q sree-
.om scream. Bat - only RS ~ 70 tals
vhea hard pressed Us naa-er waGe
, aksar s. a spectacle - p X arg
weep Hs is certainty - asotG5a- ezs,
.rFaz a1sers face. and esaf ta1s fse i
Ike > Eas eagne warkiag Egfh q defsef-
re wave gear. ard uifh lsess faz
s1n TIE xreaeaznz sud Tscklag ua.c.