The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-18
SPEAKER CANNON STILL
REMAINS JUNGLE JOE"
His New Dignities Have Not
Changed His Attitude to the
Public.

Washington Letter in Philadelphia Ledger.
Uncle Joe" Cannon has been having his
picture painted, an ordeal which all good
speakers must undergo. He has submit
ted to it with stoical resignation. knowing
shat il is part of the position he holds;
and, uncomplainingly, he has suffered him
self to be led to various photograph gal
leries and taken" in statesmanlike poses
The various artists have done what they
conceive to be their duty in such cases
they have undertaken to present the speak
err in a favorable light to posterity. 1t is
for posterity's sake that each new speaker
undergoes this course of artistic delinea-
ton. He has to contribute an oil paint
ing of himself to the gallery of speakers
and to leave his photograph for future
historians.
The photographers have performed their
labors conscientiously. They have
deavored to give Mr.. Cannon stern and
statesmanlike look, as of one whose mind
is engrossed with matters of deep public
import They have wiped the half-humor-
Gus CLINT out of his eye, and they toned
down into lines of severity the curious
crease at his mouth which gives him the
appearance of being always smiling. They
have done their duty as they see 1t, and in
years to come a commonplace face will look
from the pages OF history, instead of the
most striking and unforgettable face in all
the Fifty-eighth Congress. 1t will be the
face of an imaginary Speaker Cannon the
Speaker Cannon who ought to have been
not the face of Uncle joe"
1t has been the duty of everybody
nected with Mr.. Cannons official duties 10
metamorphose him from Uncle Joe" into
fatigably al it; this picture-making is
merely an example of it; but the work has
been failure e. flor flor r the nS
as soon as their labors are done. as a
shortcut pompadour head of hair rises
obstinately the moment you take your
hand off 1t.
Two days before Congress assembled an
old friend of the speaker met him in his
old committee room-appropriations-a
said: Joe, had it in mind to drop in on
you and say good-by to Joe Cannon
What 40 you mean?' said the speaker
II suppose you'll be the speaker now"
was the reply.
Mr.. Cannon took his cigar out of his
mouth, waved il at the hall of representa-
tives, and said: in there I'll be the
speaker; away from there you'll find that
I'll be Joe Cannon
The suggestion had been prompted BY
bitter memory of how Dave Henderson
ceased to be Dave" and became in
1iated and swollen person under the dignity
of office. Cannon is of a different make.
In fact, he could not cease to be Uncle
joe if he tried Of course, his personality
is less obtrusively in evidence than it
was when he was on the floor He cannot
make speeches now; neither can he pre-
side great deal of the time The popular
notion OF the speakership is that that
! officer is continually in the chair, presiding
over the work of Congress. AS matter OF
fact, when the big bills are being debat ted,
the speaker is not in the chair more than
half an hour a day.
The bill is taken up in committee of the
whole, and the speaker turns ii over TO
some trusted chairman, man whose par
;Is t al ability Is so generally recog
emergency call for il. to hand down one
of those decisions which will be consulted
as presidents half a century hence. some
pilot who can guide the bill past any
rock or shoal There only four of
these chairmen in the House, and they pre-
great bills. They are Olmstead. of Penn
sylvania: Sherman, of New York: Boutell.
OF Illinois and Burton. of Ohio. The speak
er takes the chair again when the bill is
put upon its passage. but the amend
ments have been voted upon in committee.
il is seldom that there is any real fight
| left TO make.
So the speaker is seen but little i'm the
House. His work is not that of an active
participant; ii is done behind the scenes.
He is the head of the House, the general
mines in advance what shall be done. and
has charge of the way to do it. And hence
IL is that while Cannon is Uncle Joe"
as much as ever. the fighting. rough-and-
| ready Uncle joe of parliamentary catch
as-catch~ can is a fading tradition, growing
| DINNER all the while.
The Uncle joe who for many years
was chairman of the appropriations COM
| mittee, the official watchdog of the treas
| ury was A sight worth seeing when "A de-
bate was on. His delivery was slashing
| sledgehammery full of fire and fury When
he got thoroughly interested in his subject
| the fact was made known in an unnis-
| taxable way on such occasions he would
| take off his coat and throw il on his
desk Provoked by opposition and getting
| warmed to his subject. his waistcoat would
| follow his coat. and IL the occasion was of
i sufficient moment TO warrant ii, off would
] come collar and necktie.