Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-11

recognize Elder Cannon as described in
that article will hardly excuse the re-
portorial license which puts into his
mouth various clipped II not uncouth
expressions The great novelist thus
describes him at that time: "a COM
pactly made, handsome man in black
rather short, with rich brown hair ana
beard. and clear. bright eyes. From his
speech l should set him down an
American; probably a man who had
knocked about the world pretty much
man with frank, open manner ana
unshrinking look; withal a man of
great quickness." Elder John Nichol-
son who first met him about this time
also drew a pen picture of him H.
which. among other things, he dwelIs
upon his regard for neatness. his
clearness of expression. his attention Il
detail and his grammatical precision
POLITICAL LIFE.
In the matter of political office, Elder
Cannon's first appearance was in the
winter of ls54-5. when he served the
legislative assembly as page, messenger
or Waterman. His next was in 1852
when az senator-elect from the in
choate state of Deseret, he returned for
a short time from England to Washing
ton and with his colleague. Hon. VIII
liam II. Hooper, vainly knocked at the
doors of Congress, asking for the ter
ritory's admission to statehood. Dur
ing the period lS65-lsI2 he served a
couple of terms in the legislative coun-
Gil. In the latter year he was prom
inent figure in the constitutional con-
vention which again sought Utah's adj
mission into the sisterhood OF states
and was again chosen one of the pros
pective states senators. This proved,
as before, a barren honor. but his cleo
ton that autumn as delegate to Con-
gress furnished him abundant oppor-
tunity for the exercise of the courage,
tact, skill and perseverance he was
Known to possess. From the first he
was the target of the keenest opposl-
ton which continued during the five
consecutive terms for which he was
elected, and forced him into position
of national prominence. The passage
of the Edmunds law In 1882, being given
an ex post facto flavor and nterpreta-
ton as far as he was concerned, Gauss
ed the house of representatives to de-
clare him ineligible and his seat va
cant. and tbs circumstance led to a
protest from him, presented In a speech
of feIvid and thrilling eloquence which
Is remembered and commented upon
by congressional veterans to this day.
WORK IN THE CHURCH.
His ecclesiastical prominence dates
from 1859 when he was chosen an apos-
tie TO fill the vacancy caused by the
death of Farley j. Pratt. In 1877 he was
chosen first counselor TO President John
Taylor. In 1889 he was chosen to oc-
cupy the same relationship to President
MILFORD Woodruff. In 1898 he was call
ed to serve in the same capacity in the
First Presidency with President Lo-
renzo Snow and occupied the position
until his death. In 1867 he was made
general superintendent Of the Deseret
Sunday School union and held thar
position until his death.
JUVENILE INSTRUCTOR.
or some of his journalistic and liter
airy activities mention has been made
but it was in 1S66-67 that these brought
him into prominence. He founded the
Juvenile Instructor, Jan /. 1866 and
In the fall OF the next year he took the
editorsEip and management of the
Deseret News. then seml-weekly,
which he Immediately changed into a
daily paper. His Life of Nephi,' a