The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-21
HIS COLLAR IS OFF.
How Uncle Joe Cannon Always
Sheds It in the Heat of
,. Controversy.
Some Homely characteristics of the
Illinois Man Who Strips
h. for Debate"

From The Jovrnet bureau. Room, 80. Posi-
Building, Washington.
Washington, Nov I'll Will "Uncle Joe"
Cannon keep on his collar after ne has
been elected speaker of the house of rep
resentatlVeS? He couldn't keep it on
chairman OF the committee on appropria
tions. He never got warmed up" during
the consideration OF an appropriation bill
without shedding his cuffs and collar.
Whenever the word was passed about the
capitol building that Cannon had removed
his collar there was hurryng to get to the
press gallery. for the newspaper men
Hnew there was something doing" The
Illinois man formed this habit Of strip
ping for debate" years ago. Statistics
would probably show that he never won
q fight on the floor of the house with his
collar on. Years ago he used to excuse
the act Of removing his collar. but Of
late years he did not deem 1t necessary
to apologize. If the Congressional Record
We're an up-to- date illustrated publication
1t would be full Of pictures Of Uncle joe
with his collar off. vest unbuttoned. and
arms extended, pleading in that old-fash-
toned way Of his for economy. He Is not
the man to do anything for show or effect
He goes out for results, and If he were
asked why he always took off his cuffs
and collar and unbuttoned his vest when
he engaged in an important argument he
would probably answer that 1t was be-
cause he could work to better advantage
In that condition.
A glance through a few pages of the
record Of the last session Of congress
recalls many scenes in which the man
who Is now slated for the speakersh1p
appeared at his best. Most readers or
newspapers will recall how he replied
to James D. Richardson Of Tennessee. the
democratic leader, in a speech that con-
.uned only about five minutes. Mr..
Richardson had taken advantage OF the
liberty of debate allowed an appro-
priation bill to deliver a carefully pre-
pared political speech. Referring to his
own party. Cannon said on that occasion:
we are not perfect and we DO not
claim to be. We pull the wagon and we
do the work, and you find the fault You
have been at that now for over a genera
ton and still we have pulled along. l
think we will pull it for. a generation
more, and still you scold. We cannot help
IT. 1t does you good and do not THINK
it hurts u.s.
In the light Of the recent election and
the new honor that is coming to him MS
closing words on that occasion take a new
interest:
I'VE have nothing to apologize for
Peace and prosperity abound here
and everywhere throughout our borders
as never before in the history OF clVlllZa-
tiotl. Print your speeches, circulate them'
SO, ono the stump I will take my chance
that when the silent ballot drops IN NO
vember next you VIII march up W ''Ao
same old defeat"
The states Of Indiana. Michigan, ILL
no,s and others that had old war claims
before the last session ought to feel CRATE
full to the prospective speaker because
It was his strong plea that secured Inc
passage cf these claims. Speaking with
special reference to the INDIANA claim
which was under consideration, ne SAID III
that convincing way OF his:
eft Is right in Gods chancery 1t is right
In mans chancery, and as2"1or q vote
on the amendment. w
That from Cannon was enough and the
claims went through.
one dav there was under considerat ton
q bill to sell some Indian lands up in the
northwest: Cannon did not like the looks
of It and this is the way he expressed
himself:
IN the light Of things that have beer
done, not to speak discourteously OF any
one personally, will remind my 1rlend OF
the old saying that we heard When "e
we're boys-that hell is paved with gooc
Intentions
Cannon lost one battle in the last house
He set his foot down good and hare
against the proposal to appropriate Seoo.
600 to reimburse contractors at the bul
= falo exposition. The house voted the
money, On that occasion he predlctec
that after the st. Louis exposition there
would be another demand on congress u
make good a deficiency.
est Louis Is preparing to hold an eS
nosition." said he. II trust it will be
success Are we to say TO her thhI IL l
&c not a success we will under"rlte tnf
venture? South Carolina, estopped thl
session of congress from asking anything
more, is here applying for Sloo'ooo more
another case of underwriting. Ana VI
this question Of expositions. If we DO no
cali a halt it will run to state fairs ana u
county fairs: the United States Will g
regularly into the show business. Az
I;+t,e later we shall be buying some Bu1
faIo Ri,l wild west show! There IS NJ
time to begin to refrain from SHINING d.
the time before you nave sliilieu
Immediately after the Buffalo appropFla
ton had been agreed upon Charleston
reouest for $4,000 came up. Canno'
made this observation, seeing that III
.nnropriation would be made:
what is the constitut1on-as an EN-
nent son Of New York who IS no" out
nonsress said-what is the CONSTITUTION
betwixt friends?"
1aaas roieht be consumed with extract
rrom the sayings Of the speaker-to-o
+erdine to show him to be the rough an
re.dv man that he is, but he is seen at nj
hast in the address he delivered one sun
49, last June at the funeral services owe
10 hodv of Amos J. Cummings, held i
the house of representatives. The speec
was improntu. and all who listened TO
felt that the Illinois man was speakln
from the heart. ,
This man." said he, "a moving ambi
tious man, achieved his place-printe1
journalist, soldier, statesman, and all com
pretended in the word man. A hundre
wears from now, yes, fifty years from nov
as men pass back in the lobby and see tn
portraits of ex-speakers and point GU
one after another, say: Where did
come from?' as We do some OF the portrait
now; in fifty years, and no man can men
ton the names Of the members of th1
congress- Then some one may say: 'Wh
do we strive to perform our duty?' Be
cause we are part and parcel Of the SOY
ereign force Of a free people. We believ
in our race. The product. Of those race
of people that have eVoluted, worked OF
their own salvation, each generate
achieving an advance and the next gene1
alton holding that advance and going
days march further on. / think Mr.. Cum
mings, from conversations with him, b,
more particularly from his action, realize
what 1 have spoken Of. He had pride thu
he belonged to that race and made n
contribution to the general good and wa
content, as I think we all are, to depa
in peace, feeling that while we will
1louyed I'm nv the great ma 1Or1ty an