The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-12-04

The Ranubuc Rureau.
14:h St and Penasylvania Ave
Washington. Dec. %.-The next Speaker OF
the House. Joe Cannon of Danville, H..
is sui seneris. He is about the only man
in public life who neither initiates nor has
inlitatorS.
It would he a hardy and foolhardy man
who would attempt 10 be an understudy TOT
Uncle Joe His manners, gestures and ar
ticulation seem to fit him, but they would
not adorn any other member. He is the raw
material. the uncut gem Of the House, ana
with all his oddities. is expected to make
one of the ablest and strongest men VINO
have sat in the Speakers chair.
He does not claim all the virtues and does
not possess them. but he Is rugged char
acter, and whatever Is said of his failinss
he Is admitted by all to be strong ana
able man.
WHEN HID FIRST SAW LINCOLN.
Something more than q year after MT.
Cannon started as a lawyer in Douglas
County the Republican State Convention oi
1860 met in Decatur. sixty miles away.
arch" VanGeron. Mr.. Cannon and others
| of Douglas County drove thlther IN
wagon, as did thousands of 1liinoisans, eager
to behold the great foregathering. The pres
idential campaign was just beginning anu
Lincoln was the candidate. The Douglas
contingent camped out on the way, for II
was long Journey over the prairie: s,,oa
Between two brick buildings, over space
123 feet wide. the Republicans OF Decatur
had arranged a meeting place Tor the con-
yention Poles had been erected on Which
to sI1nDort a covering of brush to exclude
the scorchng sun. Under this brush rooI
there was to assemble one OF the most I'M
portant conventions, both as 10 us person.
nel and its deliberations, since the DAYS OF
On the morning of the convention, as Mr.:
Tho ONLY a DIllODkey
into iG Decatur. Tanderon exclaimed:
There's Lincoln
"Howdg. Abe" replied yanderon.
Getting along pretty we'll over in Doug
Eyes. Didn't expect to see you over here,
now you're candidate
We'll Arch / reckon l was at frSt
little too much of candidate to come. nut
after all l was hardly enough OF Il candi-
date to stay away
STIRRING SCENES OF THAT DAY
That was the first time 'Uncle Joe" Can
non ever saw the great war President The
second and only other time he saw him was
some months after Lincolls election when
he was q passenger on the. same tram WITH
Mr.. Lincoln. who was travelling down to
Coles County to visit MS aged sseptho.hier:. .id:
day at Decatur for the lawyer Who was
destined to round out long puolc career,
| become the virtual leader OF ms party IN
hand on the appropriation OF billions or
money for the Government
The throng under the brush roof rapidly
assumed large proportions The yeomanry
crowded every available inch OF space ana
| overfowed into the streets Mir. cannon
the proceedings which we're TO cumlhate
| in the nomination OF Richard Yates, VINO
| would become one OF the greatest OF all the
famous war Governors.
Make wayI Make way!' the presiding
officer of the convention cried. for DICK
Ogiesby and Dennis Hanks, who will bring
| to the platform seine of The rails that Abe
Lincoln split.
The great hickory rails were borne TO the
platform and stood up enCwtse. To the rails
was attached a wide strip of cotton. upon
| which was printed the statement that they
! were made by Abraham Lincoln and Dennis
Hanks
soon there were cries for the man who
| would be known in history as the eInanci,
nator Lincoln demurred. He said he did
not want TO make a speech The. throng
clamored and he moved forward. In their
enthusiasm men lifted him above their
shoulders and he was passed over the heads
| of his brawny admirers TO the platform
Did You split them "a. IS ~ came shout
from under the brush roof.
Dennis Hanks says l did replied LIN.
! coln looking toward tbs rails. I am not
sure of it myself; but 1 have split many
| better ones"
CANNON AS A LAWYER.
The struggle in that convention has long
been historic. John NJ Palmer kentuck-
! ian by birth. was among the notables Mr.
| Cannon saw that day on the platform at
Decatur. He became volunteer officer OF
| high rank and served his State as Governor
I and as United States Senator, Dick Ogles-
| by was there. another h,entuckian. likewise
| to become in few short years-rising by
| successive stages-a famous General of vol
| unteers. to serve Illinois; thrice as Govern
| or and United States Senator. Governor
Yates was there, a native of Kentucky.
| whose achievements We're to extend to the
United States Senate.
Engrossed to no small extent in politics.
| as most lawyers of that day were, Joseph
| G. CannCn did not contemplate coming to
| Congress till along early in the seventies.
| and then chiefly by accident As State Al
| torney he had travelled the circuit, worked
/ indefatigabiy and gained 4 reputation fer
thorougIIness. He was probably more than
\ what is comprised in the term "a fair coun-
| try lawyer" for it gradually came to pass
| that he WAS engaged on one SIDE or another
of many of the important and paying cases
! in that section, and more then ever so att
eT he ceased to be State Attorney.
The sittlngS of court in a county were oc.
| casions of great moment at the county seat
| and thither flockei many who were not
| concerned in litigation. There were few law
/ books. hut the lawyers were pitted against
| each other in n catch-as- -catch-can sort or
I way. often with brief preparation. Nearly
! all the cases were before a jury and the
/ eloquence OF the attorneys not infrequent-