Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-04-06
Speaker Cannon Occasionally
Amuses Onlookers in House.
Advance Forward Of Representative
Stevens, Former Maine Man.
Gossip at Nations Capital from Jour.
naI's Special Correspondent.

the House which affords on-lookCr.-
lconstant amusement. This is his trick
lof recognizing Il member occasionally
who has not risen for recognition but
to whom Mr.. Cannon has agreed t.
give recognition. The late Speaker
Reed once in Il great While used t.
startlc the late Representative Dingley
by announcing: Tho gentleman from
Maine moves to adjourn" On such uc-
casions Mr.. Dingley would rise quick.
ly to his feet, bow in Il sort of COM
llaisant way. ana while Mr. Reed was
putting the motion to adjourn there
would be Il general smile. 1t was Mr.
Reeds humorous way of intmating
that he was ready to have the House
ladjourn and did not think it necessary
to send Il page to Mr. DinSley to tell
him t. make the motion.
But Speaker Cannon goes a great
deal farthc; than that He has not on
ly played time and again the smae kin6
of a joke upon Mr. Payne of New York
now chairman Of Ways and Means. in
motions to adjourn, which Mr.. Reed
used to play Oh Mr.. Dingelcy but h,
often surprises members; on the tlOoi
by calling out that this or that gentle
man is recognized and it is often simp-
ly for some bill, about which there has
been u conference iii the Speakers
room. Mr.. Cannon has, rs most speak
ors in recent times have had, Il list on
his desk containing the names of mem
bcrs whom he has agreed to recognize
TO present various bills. / proceedings
lag ans! no one is ready to come for
ward with Il bill, Mr.. Cannon does not
hesitate to recognize some member by
name Who has not even risen to ask
recognition. In the huhbub that usual
w prevails in the House it is not a.
ways easy to be heard and Mr.. Cannon
calls ont the name at the top of his
voice. The startled member jumps UP.
at his wits end to know what is want
ed Of him till he thinks about that bill.
1t is almost like n school teacher call
ing out TO Il hoy who happens to be w
to some mischief. Certainly the mis-
lchicvoEs boy is not more disconnected
thar is the member thus called out.
But nearly all presiding officers, bott
in the Senate and the House have some
REGULARITY that attracts the attention
of men who have oppurtunity to OBJ
serve them day in ard day out. MI
Frye of Maine, the presiding officer o.
the Senate. has a way Of rushing busi-
ness thrOuc the Senate, as far as the
Legislative formaltieS are concerned.
much faster than any vice president
would dare to do. That is because Mr..
Frye is himself n Senator and. from
his long service, feels free to be decls-
i've where man who had com in more
lrccently would not. Mr.. Frye is a very
good naturcd presiding officer ana
makes numerous remarks on the side
land in an undertone. which keep all
ltho clerks and newspaper cOrroSEOn-
ldcnts around the desk laughing. In
fact they are the only Dcopie who hear
most of these observations. He is very
unconventional. expresses his Opinions
in these aside con. crsations very free
lly.
| But when it comes to recit;nS thu
IforInaitics by which bills are passed
Mr. Frye proceeds at a lightning pace.
Ocae aeS;onalIy somebody gets up to take
lin favor Of "A little bill. which would so
through without opposition and Mr.
FRYE is ali through with the formula
before the Senator can collect himScIf
land begin his speech. For cXpcdltinS
business in this way Mr.. Frye receives
the thanks of many Senators, who are
IanyiO,s to have the calendar biilS, few
lof which have any objectionable pro-
visions. speedily disposed OF. Accord
lincly lo enables the Senate to crowd
through Il lot Of private bills in hall
the time Il less experienced presiding
loGicer would require.
Mr.. Cannon at the other end of the
n
control and he is not SO good Il parlia-
mcntarian as is Mr.. Frye Unless Mr..
Cannon had tho good will Of everybody
Ion the floor, which he has to Il remark
able degree. he would get into serious
trouble. I,ut his quaint sayings ana
picturesque bearing save him from
what otherwise might be many seri-
GUS parliamentary tanEle. Mr.. Cannon
l1ceps the House in better temper un-
doubtolIy than did either Speaker Reed
or Sneaker Henderson. However, MIR.
Reed will stand out as the most re-
marka5lc speaker CT the House i'll the
last quarter Of a century.
One man, of Maine interest. who is
coming forward very rapidly in the
House is Representative Stevens of st.
PauI who is 4 graduate of Bowdoin
and has lived rluch in Rockland and
Bangor. He is only AZ years old. but Is
already serving on his fourth term in
the House and now is we'll up towards
the head of the important military at
fairs committee. He has been one OF
the conferees on the army appropria-
ton bill which is just now the sub
iect of considerable dispute between the
senate and the House. Speaker can
non also put him. last December, on the
committee on interstate and foreign
commerce. which is an important COM
mittee. especially for the section from
which Mr.. Stevens comes.
Although not much OF an orator. Mr..
Stevens has q forceful way of putting
bie ideas before the House and his
known Independence Of thought on
Legislative measures and his generally
sound conclusions attract a good deal
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