The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-01

One figure in the House is forever
picturesque. 1t is that of Joseph G.
Cannon, of DanXille. He is a type of
the d-time statesman now fast dis
appearing. Born in North Carolina ard
fructifying ON the prairies Of Illinois,
he has served thirteen terms in Con-
gress, with only one break He APP
pears to have become a. permanent fix
ture in the House. War-worn and bat
tle-scarred, he preserves his youthful
vigor and deals blows right royalty
Never is he at rest. In the past sum-
mer he superintendent the improve
ments in the House wing of the Capt.
tol, and he is probably already at work
on the appropriation bills Of the COM
ing session. While carefully superin-
| tending this work he keeps his weather
eye on tho appropria tons jntldsted to
other committees. Never does he hes
itate to attack them In the last ses-
sion he riddled the naval bill 1t was
owing to his efforts that for the first
time IN a quarter of century no pro-
vision was made for an increase in the
navy Its new chairman lacked the
stamina and Vigor so characteristic of
Charles y. Boutelle, and the bill reach
ed the President shorn of many feat
ures of vital interest to the service
In making an attack Cannon is almost
invlncible, but he frequently fails in
repelling one. Gifted with a sonorous
Voice and emphasizing his points with
gestures grOteSquely graceful. he sea-
sons his arguments with telling men
taphors and drives them home with
vim extraordinary. The recommends
ton Of the new President 20 provide
for an unprecedented increase in the
number of ships of war will hardly
strike him favorably. Nor will he be
especially enraptured by the proposal
to increase the enlisted force by the
addition of 5000 men. If the proposal
is forced by the Naval COMMITTEES, il
Will hiring on struggle decidedly more
entertaining than instructive. But any
attempt to pass a ship-subsidy bill
viii present features far more striking
and picturesque. It was the bulldog
tenacity Of Cannon in the Fifty-first
Congress that drove a similar bill into
outer darkness 1t had already passed
the House when Cannon entered a mo-
ton to reconsider, and carried it at
midnight amid great excitement by the
narrow majority of two votes. This
was undoubtedly the greatest victory
ever achieved in the House by the IL
linois statesman. There is to-day no
positive assurance that he has in any
way changed his attitude.
Peculiarly picturesque also are the
indications in the United States Sen
ate The youthful element has been
strongly REINFORCED, and may become
rampant. 1t will undoubtedly venerate
bald heads and gray boards, but it
will hardly be shackled by hoary pre-
cedents. When Edward w. Carmack,
of Memphis, ventures to break a lance
with Albert jeremiah Beveridge. Of L.
dianapOlis, the chamber will surely be
filled with glittering leonids. The sage
of Mississippi may well open his eyes
in wonder. Nor will Joseph w. Bailey
of Texas, go way back and sit down."
He is year younger than Beveridge
and far more picturesque In the
House he COPIED with the ablest veter-
ans, and in the Senate he will easily
hold lis own. Nor is Fred Dubois any
where near the sere and yellow leaf !
He returns rejuvenated from his long
vacation, and is awake and eager for
the fray. Aside from this Joe Black !
burn has reappeared, armed cap-a-pie, |
finer than ever, with eloQuence as pure
and fascinating as the ripplng streams
of Kentucky by moonlight. At any mo-
ment, also that brilliant oratorical star.
Jonathan Z. DOlliver, may break
through the mists of discussion and
shed light not seen since the days of
Edward d. Baker. Chandler, Wolcott
and Thurston have disappeared, but
Frye, Foraker and Daniel remain, and /
away off on the Maryland horizon ap-
pears the ornate figure of Arthur p. |
German, quietly striding toward the
main entrance of the Capitol Surely
with such a figure in view the Senate |
is sure to increase in picturesqueness
and become a never failing spring of |
attractiveness to casual visitors.
Amos j. Cummings.
Copyright, 1901, by Amos j. Cum I
mings)