The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1903-11-24
CURRENT EVENTS: THE DRIFT OF THINGS
AS WE j. 1T.

of Illinois, and probably no member of oi+bor
House has a more interesting personality, H.
should be especially interesting to Tar Heels mas
much as he is probably the first native North Car
Gilman to serve as Speaker of the House since
plain old Nat Macon laid down the gavel in 1909
And "Uncle Joe" Cannon is just about as innocent
of polish or affectation as Macon himself. He
was born in Guilford County of Quaker stock. Init
like so many other persons of that faith, the elder
Mr. Cannon emigrated to the West in 1890, when
young Joseph G.. was only four years old. Speak
ing of this matter, a writer in the New York Out
look of the 21st inst, says:
The divinity that shaped Joe Cannon's rough
hewed end did him a good turn in guiding him out
of North Carolina, his birthplace, and into Hi
nois, where he has spent the better part of his
life. Had he stayed in the South, he would I'm
doubtedly have been a secessionist in the '6Os, and
a member of the Democratic minority now; for
his political opinions belong to the class made,
not born. He would tell you himself that he is
simply adaptable: Because he is a Republican
leader, he is a champion of sound finance to-day,
although early in his career as a member of Con-
gress he voted at least three times to repeal the
Resumption Act. He is a rock-ribbed supporter
to-day of the Republican policy of expansion,
though Congress did not contain a more down
right opponent of the whole programme when it
was first under consideration"
The new Speaker has himself summed up his
biography in two sentences: "Mr. Cannon was
born of God-fearing and man-loving parents. He
made himself, and did a darn poor job of it."
Very few of his colleagues, however, endorse the
last half of the second sentence. Mr.. Cannon is a
man of rugged power rather than of brilliancy,
and has a habit of holding whatever position he
wins. Now in his sixty-eighth year, he is likely to
remain Speaker through several sessions if he
win the green old age that seems likely to be his.
The Panama Republic and the Panama Canal.
We do not blame Panama for breaking away
from Colombia, and aside from the fact that the
haste in recognizing the Panama Republic was a
little unseemly, we do not blame the Admins
| tration for the course it has taken. Nor do we at
tach much Importance to the charge that repreSen-
tatives of the American Government in Panama
fomented the insurrection. Insurrection is in the
air down there anyhow, and no Central American
State regards itself as decent if it fails to nave
one or more revolutions each decade. And the
Panama people certainly had cause enough for
revolt-much the same cause that we had tor de-
claring ourselves independent of Great Britain IN
1776. Colombia, spurred by greed, had persistent
ly disregarded the interests of Panama; had
threatened, by it's highwayman-like demands OF
unreasonable payments, to turn the canal from
Panama to Nicaragua. So the Panama people SET
about, as our American forefathers did, "to 1nSt'
tute a new government, laying its foundation OIL
such principles land organizing its powers IN sucn
form, as to them shall seem most likely to enec'
their safety and happiness" So long as we re-
we're our own Declaration of independence we
shall have no right to condemn the inhabitants OF
the isthmus.
And now as a result of the establishment Of the