The Washington times., 1908-06-08
Favorte Sons and Others
NO. 2-JOSEPHG. CANNON.
Possibilities and Near-PoSsbilities for the Republican
Nominations for President and Vice President-Their
Personalities and Achievements

eussing Democrats and raising the ante
al inCppoflune mOmen,s.
As public speaker Cannon never
set the WOriG on fire with his elOquence.
but ne has often iiOored his opponents
Dy tha soundness OF his logic, his ready
how OF humor. his rugged. homcly Ian
guage, and his Windlass gestures. 4
good baseball pitcher was lost when
Uncle Joe became a politician II he
warts 10 emphasize what he IS about
10 say, ne begins IL shake his mead
after the fashion Of horse eating
hFy if'm stuffed mIngcr. Ey the
Llils i'.e climax - reached his tf''siy
ielL arm is describing Il circumference
wien q iour-f0O- diameter. lie gets
lots Of exercise out Of his gestures, al
most as much as ia lis morning breath
ing exercises in front Of the open win
dow OF his bed room
Biblical illusions nd quotations MI
lbs speeches. ana private conversation
and lac Is no stranger 10 ShHkc6Dcarc.
Blunt sJraleht-fOrpsor nd replies may be
expected Il ON him, most likely season
ed with picturesque explosives.
He processes 10 believe that all pol
IJicians, including himself. are hum
bugs, and he treats them a such. His
falth Is pinned 60 the common people,
although he can walk along with Labor
IA one arm and Capital on the other
without missing q steD. "The COnstitu-
ton and the laws do not make the
safety OF this nation" he once remark
cd. Vt is tie reOrlc who make II.
A Methodist BTotheT-in-L
His religion is embraced in the broth
erhood Of man and the tenets Of the
Republican party. Slavery made him a
Republican, ne declares. As Speaker OF
the House, he has never Iorded IL over
the most humble. lie enjoys talking to
the Irish laborer because he says the
bet part of himself is Irish.
Cannon belonged to the Quaker faith.
until his wedding day. He married "a
Methodist woman, now dead and Lls
church called upon him 10 report for
marrying outside tils faith. Augered at
this Tebuke- nc communicated him
self by eXclaimIng.
II you mean that I am 10 set up in
meeting and say / am sorry / married
Mary, ] won't do IL. I'm damned If I'm
sorry, ana IN damned If III say !
am
Today when asked to what dencmina-
ton he belongs. he retorts that he Is
A brother-in-law e the Methodist
Churca
In hi soul is a To- e for the beautiful.
only equal to his sympathy for his fei-
loW-men.
Il wouldn't Civ, three whoops in
Hauss. said he once TO a woman, "for
any man whose heart would not beat
faster. who would not breathe deeper,
81 l4trk fE - NDEaiA --.GL take IIEs whose.
spirit would not swell as II 10 stranEIe
him. who would not be moved even To-
the shedding of tears-and that without
any shame-by the voices of birds and
children, Dy a mothers smile, by a
song that Is sung from the heart, by
noble orHtOry or the noble action of
actors on the stage; by any human art
through which the spirit OF beauty ia
one speaks TO the spirit Of beauty I'm
another
with the LONELINESS Of Lincoln. he
has none of the melancholy Of that
other famous son Of Illinois with ths
power Of Car Reed, he has been as
apprUachahle and as human as the cor
Der grocery keeper,
Although he is the personifcation OF
the strictly party idea, Cannou's I'M
questioned honesty. his genial man
ueTs. his rag-carpet language and his
absolute fairness within the limitations
OF the rules Of the HCUsc-have made
him the most beloved Speaker that ever
occupied the chair. not only among his
oWn colleagues, Sal also among the
minority.
He has no better friend iu Congress
today than john Sharp Williams. the
Democratic floor leader.