New-York tribune., 1908-10-18
Speaker Cannon as a Campaigner


MEN who have travelled with all the celebrated
INI campaigners say they have the best time with
Speaker Cannon. He does not give much atten-
ton the preparation of his speeches as Others do
sufficient rest. Nor does he make much of the
visitors who come aboard the train. H. likes to be
with the boys, " and makes It pleasant for them
with stories Of long ago and incidents connected
with the sections visited during the tour
All effective campagners tell stories, either to
illustrate or to emphasize different points in their
speeches. or to put their audiences in good humOr.
They all seem to realize that a good story always
helps along a political argument, and 1t often re-
Ieves the tension of the crowd Here is COllec
ton OF the best stories told on the stump by the
most effective CampaignerS.
At Portland. Maine, last fall. Speaker Cannon was
introduced by the chairman of the meeting as " the
next President of the United States Replying to
the compliment at the beginning of his speech, Mr..
Cannon told the story of q revival on the Wabash
River in Indiana when he was a boy. 1t was
Methodist revival, held in an old log structure
which was used as a SChOOlhOuSe and church. One
night the revivalst held forth nightly, and at the
end of powerful sermon abruptly SAID, Now, all
those who desire to 90 to heaven stand up!'
Every one in the church Immediately rose except
one Young man down in front. The minister glanced
at him moment, and then said, " All those who
desire to go to hell stand up!
OF course nobody rose Then, pointing his finger
at the Young man, the reVivalist said Young man,
it seems that you do not want to go to heaven and
don want to 90 to hell VIII you tell us Where you
The Young man in a quaverng, piping voice sang
out "If it's all the same to YOU Just as soon
STAY where | am. Indiana is good enough for me.
$50" continued Mr. Cannon, with all due deter
ence to the compliment of your chairman, VII!
saw The speakershp is good enough tor me,
and will stay right where | am il 1t all the same
to you"
The Hearst movement, with its accompaniment
of noise and hurrah, also reminded Mr.. Cannon OF
story 1t referred to an old fellow down III Name
who took a contract to furnish summer hotel with
frogs legs at the rate of ten dozen day lie was
to begin delivering the frogs legs on the day follow
ing the making of the agreement. But the old Tel
low did not show up for several days thereafter
Finally he came to the proprietor with only two
frogs in a little tin bucket. These he showed to the
hotel man and in a shamefaced way remarked:
Say mister ] guess had better cancel the
contract When | made it | thought | knew OF a
mace where there was a million frogs Jedgln from
The noise. but when | went out to get EN- | found
that these two frogs maxim the whole blamed
racket"
When speaking at Sedalia, Missouri, the electric
lights went out and Mr.. Cannon spo ke IN darkness
for about fifteen minutes When the lights were
finally turned on the audience applauded, and he
discontinued the thread of his political discourse
long enough to remark:
Light is Il great thing, a ray of 1t falls on the
pupil of the eve and the subtle is carried to
the brain Therefore the poet says Han holy hight!
And how splendid and magnificent to the physical
man it isl How important to you and to me, and
TO all of US as we shoulder each man his individual