The National tribune., 1906-05-24

space about 125 feet wide, the Repub-
licans of Decatur had arranged meet
ing place of the convention. Poles had
been erected on which to support a
covering of brush to exclude the
scorching sun. Under this brush roof
there was to assemble one of the most
important conventions, both as to its
personnel and its deliberations, since
the days of the Revolution.
On the morning of the convention,
as Mr.. Cannon, who came only as an
onlooker and not as a delegate, and
deron exclaimed:
There's Lincoln"
"Howdy, Arch" came the saluta-
ton moment later.
"Howdy, Abe" replied vanderon.
Getting along pretty well over in
Douglass"
Yes. Didn't expect to see you over
here, now ye're candidate"
We'll, Arch reckon / was at first
a little too much of a candidate to
come, but after all I was hardly enough
of a candidate to stay away"
That was the first time Uncle Joe"
Cannon ever saw the great war Presi-
dent. The second and only other time
he saw him was some months after
Lincoln's election, when he was a pas
senger on the same train as Mr.. LIN
coin, who was travelling down to Coles
County 10 visit his aged stepmother.
Stirring Scenes.
But there were other stirring scenes
that day at Decatur for the lawyer, for
whom it was destined to round out
long public career, be many years the
virtual leader of his party in the House
of Representatives, and keep n hand
on the appropriation of billions of
money for the Government.
The throng under the brush roof
rapidly assumed large proportions. The
yeomanry crowded every available inch
Of space and overfowed into the streets
of Decatur. Mr.. Cannon was in the
press, like the Others intent on the
proceedings, which were to culminaIe
in the nomination of Richard Yates
who would become one of the greatest
of all the famous war Governors.
Make way, Make wayi" the pre-
siding officer of the convention cried,
for Dick Oglesby and Dennis Hanks
Make way for Dick Oglesby and Dem
mis- Hanks, who will bring to the plat
form some of the rails that Abe Lin
coin split"
The great hickory rails were borne
to the platform and stood up endWise.
To the rails was attached wide strip
of cotton, upon which was printed the
statement that they were made by
Abraham Lincoln and Dennis Hanks.
Soon there were cries for the man
who would be known in history as the
great emancipator. Lincoln demurred.
He said he did not want to make a
speech. The throng clamored, and he
moved forward. In their enthusiasm
men lifted him above their shoulders.
and he was passed over the heads of
his brawny admirers 10 the platform
Did you split them rais?" came a
shout from under the brush roof
Dennis Hanks says | did" replied
Lincoln, looking toward the rails II
am not sure of il myself, but | have
split many better ones"
Mr.. Cannon is as uHassuming as a
man can well be. There Is absolutely
not one suggestion in his manners Of
the dignity OF his Office. yet the dignity
of the office of Speaker is more strong
ly upheld by Speaker Cannon than
ever before in its history. He consid-
ers the office second only to the Presl-
dency, and says so, and he has also
said that he would rather be Speaker
OF the House than President of the
United States. 1t may be he shall
achieve both before he is Oslerized:
who can tell?
Mr.. Cannon is not a handsome man.
He has silver-white hair and a little
curly-what there is of it-and a stub
by. close-clipped gray beard. He is
neat in his attire, but not at ali
spruced-up" looking. In evening
clothes he looks mighty nice, but not
pretty even thea. He is perhaps firel