The Washington times., 1908-10-21


litical outlook has to be fright poorly
in the Eighteenth Illinois district when
Uncle Joe" Cannon feels impeIled 20
climb down from his comfortable front
porch, lay aside Bunyan's Pilgrims
Progress" or some other piece Of
classic literature. throw away that big
black cigar Of his and hike away in
an automobile 10 look after his fences.
mat 'front.' porch which Uncle Joe
hoids IN fee simple Is q most attractive
place, empowered In flowers and made
aHurnS by comfortable chairs, rugs
ana Other appurtenances. IT has been
otten mentioned, but its attractions
the Speaker OF the House takes off
MS coat and vest and throws aside his
coliSr and tie, cocks his feet upon the
railing and lets the waves of smoke
roIi upward while he broOds In philo-
sophie calm over the WEAKNESS OF the
world and the uncertainty Of all earthly
thlnSs, ne Is, indeed, n picture OF con-
Ientment, a being to be envied. The
Speaker knows better than anyone else
the merits of the front porch aforesaid.
ana the satisfaction 10 be derived from
IL, and II Is no common sort Of situa-
non that leads him 20 do as he is do
ing now, CHASING up and down and to
and fro. over the district. and preaching
the doctrines OF Republcanism to a
people that show signs of hayward
ness and rebellion.
Not Often So Wrought Up.
It has been many a day since the
Eighteenth district was so wro. ght ND
over the political situation as II Is
now. 1t is not the Taft-Bryan situation
that is IN everyone's mind. but the
contest against Speaker Cannon IL is
true there IS q considerable part OF
the population that is showing no signs
IN TINS campaign Of getting excited over
poltlcS OF any sort. But those that are
interested are concerned with the Can
non and anti-CannOn struggle to a
greater degree than in any other phase
OF the campaign. For years. the echoes
Of real Congressional battle in the
Eighteenth district have not been heard
alohS Ine hankakee and the Wabash.
Uncle Joe used to squeeze through Y
narrow margins and on more than one
occasion has escaped by the skin OF
his teeth. But that has not been the
case recently. He began serving his
country as a member of the House back
IN 1913. That was nearly rhirty-Sil-
years ago, more than a third OF a cen
fury The only time he was beaten was
IN the landslide Of 1890 when S T.
Busey, OF Crbana, which was then in
this Congressional district. defeated
him.
Got a Vacation.
Il was given a vacation against my
Wishes is the way the Speaker puts it..
Aside from the single term served by
Busey, Mr.. Cannon has been in the
House continuously since he entered il.
II may be added in passing that IL was
not great while after Uncle Joe"
went down 10 defeat in 1890 that the
Illinois Legislature concluded that Il
might be better for the people 70 change
the boundaries Of the DanviIIe district.
and It was changed 50 that Urbana was
eft out.
The district now bears q good deal of
resemblance in shape to the famous
'MoEkey-wrench" district OF Iowa reU-
resented by Dave Henderson, and
which begins on the Mississippi river
at Dubuque. and stretches far on its
way over toward Sioux City In the
Eighteenth Illinois district are the coun-
ties OF kaukalee. NermiliOn, IroouOis.
Clark, Cumberland, and Edgar. KanIa-
kee IS the northern county. and this
and four others are strung along south
ward bordering on the Indiana line
WITH the sixth county away from the
border, and reaching well into the IL
terror Of the State.
Particularly since Mr.. Cannon has
been Speaker Of the House. the oppo-
sitiOn TO him in the district has not
been Wen organized. and he has had
easy Slecdlng. In 1902, he was elected
by plurality Of 1861; in 1864, by Boz
ana In 1905, oy plurality OF 1907 Nat
UTally, his friends came to feeling UTCf-
u secure. and did not keep up their
= nlNfn
fighting perfection
Asleep at the Switch.
The consequence was that when the
anti-CannOn wave began to sweep over
the country with more or less force
some months ago, and to roll over the
cornheloS and coal mines In the region
about Danville, IL found a good many
OF the chiefs and CentuTiOns Of Uncle
joe asleep at the switch. The boys"
whom the. Speaker las been boosting
along up the ladder Of success since the
memory Of man runneth not TO the con-
trary were not expecting the enemy,
and were not on the watch towers
And so II teH out that the Democrats
OF the district got together and nonii-
mated Mayor Henry 6. Bell, Of Marshall
Clark county. an old soldier, and had
formidable campaign organized and
under way before the Speakers friends
really awakened 10 the seriousness of
the difficulty. Aiding and abetting the
movement TO overthrow Uncle joe
was President Samuel GOmpers, Of the
American Federation OF Labor. Some
Of the temperance elements in the dis
trict. and certain OF the NetnodiStS were
enlisted. and II was not long until the
Eighteenth district looked as harmOni-
Gus for Uncle joe as a hornets nest
that had Just been diligently poked by
q small boy.
Opposition Encouraged
VI course. Inc e tat - against the
Speaker in various States this year has
encouraged the opposition to him here.
It was q good deal easier for the friends
or The Speaker to let this fire be kindled
under him in his district than il Is prov
ing TO be TO put II out Earlier IN the
campaign. the head or the House went
out Of Illinois and spoke IN some of the
other States But lately, he has been
cevoting his attention to his district
ana IS enc OF the busiest persons 10 be
sound IN these parts. The eight-hOur
Idea does not apply in his case. He is
going over every county talking not
merely IL the larger centeTs. but in the
school houses and hamlets. riding scores
OF miles daily by auto often beginning
early IN the morning and keeping up
the pace until midnight and after. When
II IS remembered that Uncle joe" is
seventy-twO years old il IS clear this is
leading a reasonably strenuous exist
cncc. The Speaker. however, doesn't
seem to mind it, He stands the wear
and tear admirably and looks the pic
ture of health He viii be in the dis
trict the entire time between now and
election with the exception OF three
.Ts,r