The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-29
WILLIAMS AND CANNON
Continued from Page one.)

Republican Speakers. He is Southern bern and Northern bred. He has al- ways been 6 partisan since he was old enough to be a party man, yet as a Republican member of Congress from a Northern State, the representation of his party from the South being infini- tesmal he has not been known to say word for any audience that could be construed as the voice of sectionalism
 Pride of the southerners. The Southerners In Congress are rather proud of the fact that the Speaker was born in their region. He has never patronized Southerners be- , cause of any fancy or implied superior ity incident to long residence in great Northern State If indeed there had been any provincial parsimony of spirit in him. any narrow partisanship embittered by the wormwood of sec- tionalism. the Southerners would op- pose him all the more bitterly, they would hate him as they hate rene- gades. But Uncle Joe Is above and beyond such things. So the Southern CTS of Congress like him, admire him and are proud of him as a representa- tive American of fine type. unfortu- nate only, as they deem, in political association and environment. pervert- ed by some peculiar art of circum- stances from instinctlve and inherent Democracy to a strangely tolerable, if artificial Republicanism. not so gen. uine in partisanship as to be danger ous but still so clearly marked as to be diverting anomaly. That seems to be the Southern view of Speaker Cannon, the Southern view meaning the idea that obtains on the Demo- cratic side of the House.
 AS his standing among Ic party people in the House, 1t speaks often for itself. During the months that he has presided over the House there has not been a single occasion that hinted of discontent with his methods. As much can hardly be said for former Republican Speakers He has been a leader of lis party fol- lowed Loyalty, trustingly, confidently. He is Uncle Joe" to the Republican members, and they to him are "the boys"
 John Sharp Williams.
 Uniquely secure in the esteem and confidence of his party Is also John Sharp Williams, leader of the oppo- sition. There is not a Democrat of the House who does not cong ratulate the party that has such a leader. There was at first a kind of timorous apprehension that the versatile Mis- sissippian, in the ardor of interest in all that pertained to the welfare of his party, would talk too much, make himself cheap and wear out the welcome with which he was early acclaimed as the commander of the minority forces. But they did not know that they had drawn a capital prize His physical debut his appearance, so to speak, was against him. They had not learned to differen- tiate the sartorial shell and the pearl within. They were too prone to skeuti cism of so apparently crass and perverse disdain of clothes. They did not know. as his lifelong friends know, that John Sharp Williams's distinguished disregard or fashionable attire was a habit pinned upon hi min the earl wears of his man. hood, It Is told of him by those who were loving the man years ago that when he left college and sought to settle down to business and married life. he found a great many things he had to settle up. There was large estate for his management which was heavily in debt. This was the condition that con fronted him after college life of rare advantages.
 Williams's Economy.
 He went to work not merely with the endowment of brain, but with his modi- cum of brawn, and he worked his in- herttance of debt-burdened plantations out of all incumbrance meantime stint ing himself in the matter of clothes style and quality so recklessly and aggressively that 1t was said to be the one and only thing that caused any pang to disturb his domestic feliclties. He would wear clothes until they were distinctly old clothes. But MT. Williamss idea may be said to have expanded In this respect as in others. Members do not now re- 1TNy they did In the matter of raiment. The vanishing of their doubts as to his quall- ties of leadership has raised to the height of fashion the things he chooses to wear. His ability to sustain himself and his party in the frequent emergen- cies that have arisen has completely man tied his fralties as to the fashions. He has displayed a range of information about the cost of clothes to the people and other times of necessity and luxury. embraced in the tariff schedules, s) wide and varied and instructive for present edihcation and for future cam paign us that his fellow Democrats are delighted and buoyed with unwonted hope.
 Never Suffers Defeat.
 MT. Williams has never suffered defeat in any of the numerous encounters of de- bate In which he has engaged during the past SlA iHollIIS ana that he has won not few victories even his political foes will admit He has indeed done more than the minority members them selves deemed was possible to accom- 1 plish. Ever company of heterogeneous and difficult individuals. the Democracy Of the House has acquired under John | Sharp Williams a distinctive party CO., hesion, standing and fighting elan which | 1t had long disheartingly lacked. Against | the admirable party discipline which has | always characterized the Republican ma tority he has been able to array a wig orous, vigilant compact. aggressive op- 1 position, ready to take advantage of ev- ! cry opening and to assail every vulnerable | point Undoubtedly the Democrats of the House in spite of the limitations im- ! posed by the majority, fortressed by l every astute device of the rules of the | majority's making. have wrought but | occasions which have supplied them with Tar more campaign material than their opponents intended they should | have. and there is no sort of doubt that l it VIII be put to ocfItsa and Iax-Ish ,,aa