Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-12

kHSwAM CuSsion OF the American con-
lsy 90 gress today is the speaker oil
III Esku the house of representatives
IkA SRJM Joseph q. Cannon. Uncle
lkasASa2N Joe" Is character. lie Is as
much of a character in Amer
lean politics as was the rugged AnureW
Jackson, the terrible John Randolph OF
Roanoke or the imperious Roscoe Conk-
ling, and he shares with those three
interesting historical personages the
distinction OF being always positive,
never negative Uncle Joe is RcpuD-
lican, therefore he htaes the Demo-
cratic party and all its works. If he
likes Il man he viii go To any proper
lengths to show his affection. II he
disdpproVes OF a man there Is no lam
guagC too severe to express his feelings.
Consequently those persons who admire
MIR. Cannon accord him a whole -souled
and unquestioning loyalty which is akin
to infatuation, and those who do not
admire him are apt to use the entire
supply of invectives in expressing their
opinions.
1t appears that there are fashions in
Cannonism. The speaker can remem-
Der when he was hailed all over the
country as the ideal leader of the
western Republicans-tha was before
some of the "fair-haired boys of the
uplift magazines were born. He also
remembers when he was denounced by
a large section Of the press and by all
Democrats as "dirty-mOuthed Cannon"
Still later the whole country adopted
him as its uncle" and embarrassed
him with gifts OF homespun suits, and
yarn socks, and hand knit "galluses,"
just to show that the country saw in
Uncle Joe the Incarnation of those
homely virtues which all Americans
affect TO regard so highly. And now
Uncle Joe, being the same man and
remembering all these things, is being
abused by most Democrats and some
Republicans because he Is "czar,'
and Is alleged TO have decamped with
the liberties of the American people
secreted in the same vest pockt where
he carries, ready for instant use,
cigars. Nermilion county, Illinois, the
Republican house organization and a
perfectly warm estimate of the useless
ness to society OF Messrs. Bryan, Com
pers and LaFollette:
There are many mon. no doubt. who
are able to give perfectly impartial
estimate OF Mr.. Cannons ability and
craftsmanship, but there is none who
will do II. Either Mr.. Cannon IS the
good old Uncle Joe who is standing
braVely at the head Of the conserya-
tive forces fighting Organism, Social
ism and the devil: or he is an anti
4
movement in the interest of public
progress and modern economics. OF
course he Is neither one nor the other
he is not the only hope of conservatism
nor the only enemy of progress, Tor
sometimes he Is progressive and some
times he opposes the conservatives.
One thing however, is certain: lie Is
always a Republican.
Mr.. cannon will be "a years old when
he celebrates his next birthday, May s.
lie was 6S when he was first elected
speaker. the Oldest man ever called to
the chair Of the house. Yet he Is as
vigorous today in mind and body as
are most men OF so, and 90 IS young In
congress, lie does not appear to feel
the handicap of his years in any fash
ion. and he is ready at any time 10
prove to the insurgents" that he Is
capable of putting up very high
grade of fight.
He was born in Gunford county,
North Carolina, in 1886, OF Quaker
parents When he was 4 years old his
parents moved to Indiana, his father
being opposed to slavery At IA years
youny Cannon went to work In a couE-
trv store and saved his money for the
purpose Of studying law. When he was
20 he went to Terre Iaute to read law
I'm the office of John p. Usher, who
was secretary Of the interior In the
Lincoln cabinet. Later he went to the
Cincinnati Law school. where he was
graduated in 1858. In the same year
he removed TO Illinois, living for Il
few months at ShelbyYille and then
going to Tuscola. In 1851 he was
elected states attorney and was con-
tinued In that office until 1868. In 1872
he was elected to congress, where he
has served ever since, with the eXcep-
ton Of the two years of the Fifty-sec-
ond congress. In 1876 he removed TO
his present home in Danville and
abandoned his law practice.
OF the men who served in the Forty
third congress, the first of which Mr..
Cannon was a member, but four others
remain In public life. William p. Frye
was then the chief supporter of Speaker
Blaine, Eugene Hale was Republican
house leader, julius Caesar Burrows
was "the silver-tOngued orator of the
house." and Stephen b. Elkins was in
the house as a delegate from the terri
tory of New Mexico. Now Frye and
Hale represent Maine in the senate,
Burrows is a senator from Michigan
and Elkins Is a senator from West Nir-
ginia. There Is not q man left in the
house who was there when Uncle Joe
first took his seat. The names Frye,
Hale, EllIins and Cannon prove the
value, in congress, of long service.
Mr.. Cannon served his apprenticeship,
as all congressman have TO do, but 1t