Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-13
Mr.. CANNON At HOME
An Interview With the
Speaker at Danville.
HIS ACTIVE CAREER
EXPRESSION OF OPINIONS ON
MANY TIMELY TOPICS
bur Country at Home and Abroad
Canada of the Future-Cam-
paign of 1904.

Sneaker Cannuns big house here in Dan
lille and have heart-to-heart talk with
nc of the really big men of the country!
hat wind which fans our cheeks like
e;L breeze comes from the corn-laden ILL
lois prairies, rustling the forest trees at
par side with it's song of prosperity and
peace. We are away from the factions of
politics. away from the strife of legisla-
ion. away from the struggling of every
bay craftsmanship; we are away from the
liz cities, away out in Gods country, where
ne can look at himself and the world. 1t
under such conditions that l have had
sit with Joe Cannon, the results of which
re embodied in the conversation which
follows.
The first part of our talk was of a per-
|onal nature. had asked the Speaker as
O his boyhood and he replied that he could
,member as far back as when he was four
ears old, now siXty-four years ago.
1T was then said he, that We emf
rated from North Carolina to Indiana. We
anne over the mountains in canNas-covered
Wagons. sleeping in tents. We crossed the
title Dan river. 1t was as big to me then
the Mississippi is now. l can still see the
kreat forests, the wild flowers by the road
Idle and the squirrels darting from tree
10 tree.
His Quaker Ancestors.
Then your parents Were southerners Mr..
Spcaker?'
They were born in North Carolina. but
hey were Quakers OF the old stock that
vent from Massachusetts south and emil
rated thence to different parts of the west.
they were natural pioneers. always moving
rom place to place. My father and mother
lived in Guilford county, n. c. Father
Taught school then in little red school
house. of which | have picture. He after
kard studied medicine and practiced 1t.
tl,.
caravan which went to Indiana and set
led at our little town on the Wabash. 1t
MAS there l got my first schooling and there
lived until l was fifteen, when father was
drowned and l had to go to work"
What did you do then, Mr.. Speaker"
Il clerked in country store for five
ears. after which | went into an Office
nd studied law. 1t took me some time to
Jet start as a lawyer, but l finally sue
eeded, and was doing well when / was
lrst elected to Congress, about thirty-two
ears ago. With the exception of one term
nave been in Congress ever since
The Delights of Youth.
Then your boyhood was not an easy
|ne Mr.. Speaker"
Perhaps not, in comparison with that of
h. cisy boys of today; but it was like that
the other boys of the community and
thoroughly enjoyed 1t. There is nothing
reams of the future. As we grow older
9 are content with the present l have
IT built an air castle for thirty years, al
dough | enjoy life stil.
And yet the pleasures of my youth
hight be considered hardshps now In
hose days every boy rose at daybreak to
make the fire. You crept from the warm
hects out on the cold floor to dress.
might be that your boots had frozen
over night and how you did have to pull
letting them Then if you had been
.houghtful and had carried in the wood
before bedtime it was not hard to kindle it
nd to put the kettle on the crane; but If
pot you had to go out and split the wood
] the snow. After the fire was built came
he milking, and you took two pals and
ent out to the barn. One pail held the
|nilk and the other served for the strip
lngs. You had to watch that the old
.nuley COW did not kick you. and 1t might
&e that she would flirt her bedraggled tail
nto your still half-sleepy eyes. After milk
hg you came in and had breakfast and
low it did taste,
Snow balls then were as good as apples
ow and every bit sweet.
When | worked in the country store l
pad to get up, make the fire, sweep out
AT breakfast and be ready for business by
o clock in the morning, and | stayed in
he store until o'clock at night. Was II
lard? No! Other boys did the same, and
" had our fun, too. Many time we went
ut and danced till daybreak and got back
Z
hay have yawned a little during the day.
Sut the elixir of youth remedied all before
light
The Education of a Speaker
here asked Mr. Cannon to tell me more
fbout his education. He is a weIl-read
nan, and in his speeches uses excellent
English, illustrating his points from his
cry and literature ancient and modern
lr. Cannon said: My education was con-
ned to the country school. to home teach
ng about the big log fireplace. where
ather read to us at night, and to my own
private study. While | was clerking I had
more or less time when business was slack
nd after | began to read law / got smat-
ering of Latin.
What books did you have?"
Very few during my boyhood. There
vas a little public library in the saddler's
&hop in our town. and it's books were pass
Id around We had Plutarch's Lives.
kesop's Fables, Josephus' History of the
Jews Rollins Ancient History. Shake
peare and the Bible. / read all these
gain and again. l read Shakespeare be
lore | fifteen, and every year from
hne until fifteen | had to read the Bible
through from end To end.
Can you quote much from the Bible?"
Il never could quote anything" said the
Speaker. but the Bible has furnished me
nurc illustrations for my speeches than
INV other book. 1t is fun of grand pie
lures and IL has parallels and examples il
ustratiug every phase of human life and
lotion"
What parts of the Bible have helped you
nost?' | asked.
Il can hardly say. They all good The
bid Testament and the New fun of
great thoughts and striking images. Take
David and his Psalms. the Proverbs of Sol
mon and SolomOn's Songs. There is moth
ng like them anywhere. Ecclesiastes is a
great philosophical poem. and all Job is
poetry. Think of the story of Exodus and
he wandering OF the chosen people through
he wilderness for forty years. and that
bnly two of all their host ever saw the
promised land. And then the sermon on
he mount and the life of Paul. The Bible
a treasure house. 1t has had great In
nuence upon me all my life.
What books stand next TO the Bible in
our estimation
Shakespeare has, | suppose the second
blaze, but | study Shakespeare stlll ana
lind IL ever fresh and ever new. Plutarch $
ives | know almost by heart, and their
characters are very real to me From Rol-
Inns | got much of my knowledge OF the
(5reeks and Romans, and from Shakespeare
human nature.
college Educations for Congressman.
81 here asked the speaker as to what he
thought of the benefits Of college educa-
ion He replied:
Il have regretted that | was not able to
70 to college. The lack of such an educa-
ION made IL so that | have had to do my