The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-06
Speaker Cannon, His Early
Debates and His Awful
Left"

|THE new speaker of the House
OF Representatives in unique
j IN that he never changes.
The Joe Cannon who ell
tered the Forty-third Congress in 1873
is the same Joe Cannon who for the
past two Congresses has been the
leader on the Republican side.
have not seen him for forty
years, but nobody had to tell me that
he was the Joe Cannon with whom |
used to go TO school in the old Quaker
Academy At Annapolis IN Indiana.
away back IN the fifties" This was
the declaration OF a bearded old
man who sat in the visitors gallery
one day last winter and listened To
MIR. Cannon as the latter fought, tooth
and nail, against an appropriation
which he considered unnecessary and
eXtravagant.
He and used to belong TO the
same debating society" continued the
old gentleman, and he had the same
mannerisms then that he has now.
| can never forget that shake OF the
head, that wild sweep Of the left arm
and the mournful, Methodistical voice
| when most in earnest.
This old friend OF Uncle Joe's"
then related how the future Congre>s-
man had TO leave the old academy
because he had no money with which
TO continue his education. There Wcr.
tears in the young fellows eyes, bat
hope and strong resolve in his boson
as he left the academy and went 80
work in a small store. Few of lass
schoolmates expected that the boy
:, who walked out of their schoolroom
would in years to come be control
ing the expenditures OF the United
States government, but that is what
| Joe Cannon did as chairman of the
Appropriations Committee OF the
House in the last four Congresses.
Among his colleagues Mr.. Cannon's
awful left" is standing joke
| When he gets excited in debate, and
he never gets deeply interested in a
dDJect without getting excited, the
gyrations OF that left arm are Won
derful and almost hypnotic The ewes
of his auditors never leaye il as il
saws the air and waves in .serni-circles
dangerously close to tbs heads 81
those sitting near him. Ii fascinates
them. Uncle Joe" in action is one
of the sights of the Honse. He Is
somewhat careless in dress, and is
prone 10 roll up his sleeves, remove
his cravat and open his shirt collar
as the debate grows hotter and he be
comes more deeply interested and
grows more emphatic. In repose the
Illinois statesman would be taken for
a straight-laced deacon OF a church
His sandy chin whiskers are only
slightly mixed with gray, and his dry
touselled, light hair Is not enough TO
fully cover his red and polished
Uranium
When he was sitting at the head
of his committee table in deep
study a stranger was liable 10
form a wrong impression OF this
doughty fighter and statesman from
Illinois. A naval officer, new e.
Washington, entered the committee
} room one day last spring, and, no;
being personally acquainted with Mr.
, Cannon, did not recognize him as the
chairman. In relating his experience
a few moments after to 4 friend. The
: officer said he wondered 10 himsc,s
. What is that sanctimonious church
. deacon doing here" lie got
] 10 his senses 4 moment later when
Mr.. Cannon swung around In A:r
. chair, and in short, .gruf tones dc
manded:
: well. young man, what thc devil
E can we do for you?"
The naval officer got his bearing
e At once. made himself known g.
Uncle Toe," and had satisfactory
| interview.