The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-22
CANNON CONSULTS
HIS CONVENIENCE
Tells Why He Shuns Vice Pres
ldency-TlmeIy Washing.
ton Topics.
Correspondence of The Globe.

correspondence OF The Globe.
WASHINGTON, d. c., May 21-The
night before Speaker Cannon left
Washington for Illinois he spoke as
folloWs-and the calm and meditative
manner of his speaking would have
surprised the facetious Chicago news
paper writer who once described Uncle
Joe's mannerisns on the floor of the
house as those of the Dancing Dervish
of Danville:"
mo, don't want it. Now what
would there be in it for me? Of course,
no one has asked me, so to say; but
just supposing they really wanted me
/ TO take this nomination for the vice
presidency? | couldn't do it. 1t is an
honor-a great honor; there's no rea-
son why everybody should shy at the
vice presidency. But I'm sixty-eight
years old, [ have always worked hard.
been in the house during all of my po-
lItlcal life, and 1 can't afford to stop
work. That's what it would mean-for
the vice president doesn't have ANY,
thlng to do except preside over the
deliberations of the senate shouldn't
feel free and easy there as do in the
mouse, and the life wouldn't be active
enough for me- Yes, you are right, the
speaker does have a lot of power. 1t
ought to be the second position of
power IN our government, as you say.
OF course, it is largely what man
makes of it, but the speakership is a
great office. But then, what is the use
OF talking about that? I would stay in
the house anyhow, even if the Repub-
licans should lose in the next election
and the Democrats should have the
speakership.''
Two questions, at any rate, have
been settled: Mr.. Hearst isn't going to
name his new baby Philander Knox,
and the Knox express wagons which
have been carrying Hearst banners
through the streets Of Washington do
not belong to the attorney general.
illustrates Gratitude-'T know con-
ductor on the Chicago & Northwest
ern railroad out in IoWa-now what
was that fellows name?" said Secre-
tary Leslie M. Shaw. HE was always
polite to his passengers, and a good
many of them knew him well, for they
travelled frequently on the road. and
neo Deen on that run for years. Well,
that conductor saw a pocketbook in
one of the seats one day just after the
train stopped at way station, and he
remembered that an old man and an
old woman had been sitting there So
ne picked up the pocketbook and ran
10 the door. The old man and his wife
had just stepped down onto the plat
form of the station
Did you drop this pocketbook? the
conductor said, very politely.
" Yes, we did, snapped the old wom-
an, and 1 guess somebody saw you
pick 1t up or you wouldn't have give it
back to u.s.
Now, whenever / meet anybody
who's always suspecting the motives
Of other people," continued the secre-
tary, Il just tell 'em that story
+ -
Col. Melvin Grigsby, whose Iubricat-
ed dismissal from the office Of district
attorney for the Second Alaska district
was announced some time ago. will
spend the second half Of June at Nome
The colonel was appointed district at
torney two years ago, and although he
was supposed to spend all of his time
IN the Northwestern Alaska metropolis
he has been detained in Washington
for about seventeen months on pressing
personal business.
The journal clerk Of the house of
the speeches and proceedings of con-
gress during the recent session do not
I'LL as many pages by about 1900 as
did the proceedings of the session be-
fore. That is easily explained: John
Wesley Gaines was absent from the
house two days.
Hawkeye Love Feast-Every year on
the anniversary of Senator William
Boyd Aliison'S birth, Prof. w J Nc
Gee, with no periods after the initials,
gives dinner to the Iowa delegation
in congress, WITH Senator Allison as
the guest of honor. Prof. MCGEE was
formerly chief Of the chronological bu-
reau of the Smithsonian institute and
is the husband of DR. Anita Newcomb
MCGEE, the Red Cross nurse
The most recent dinner, which was
held about two weeks ago. was a love
feast for the sons of the Hawkeye
state. The venerable Mr.. Allison was
for one night, as young as the young
est, and the jarring associations of the
Iowa idea were not even mentioned
during the evening. Other Iowans
than member of congress were present
Secretary of the Treasury Shaw, Di-
rector Of the Mint Roberts, Secretary
of Agriculture Wilson, eX-Speaker Hen
derSon and several others without re-
gard to politics or tariff revision. Sen
ator Allison made speech in his most
happy vein-and Mr.. Allison is not al
ways serious He praised his host and
complimented his fellow guests.
Prof. McGee," he said, lis engaged
in great work for the enlightenment
of humanity. Iowa is proud of Prof
MCGEE, the greatest scientist in the
United States, and
The world! the world!" shouted
one of the younger guests down toward
the end of the table.
Freedom of speech ruled the even
ing. Representative Bob Cousins, of
Upton, saw fit to rally Gen. Hender-
son by way of retort to something that
the other guests hadn't heard
G don't put my feet on the table in
the presence of ladies, anyhow" de-
clared Mr.. Cousins.
That's because you're always so
id formal, Bob,' replied Gen. Hen
derson.
An officer in the quartermaster gem
erals department who is supposed to
know his business, but who evidently
believes, as ex-Secretary Of the Navy
John d. Long once did, that Puget
sound is full of icebergs in winter re-
marked the other day:
we shall begin to ship building ma
terials to Skagway as soon as navi-
cation opens