Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-12
Some Things You Want to Know
The American Congress-Speaker Cannon's Career

to congress in 1892, another democratic
year. and has been coming back ever since.
No public man in the history of the coun-
try has been subjected to a more severe
attack by the press than was Uncle Joe"
Cannon in 1890. He was ever then Uncle
Joe" and that was twenty years ago.
In that familiar name one finds a KEY
to his character and to his power. He is
one Of the plain people, a lovable old man,
whom his friends adore. Anybody would
call him uncle" Now there isn't a man
alive who would dare to address the SEN
ator from Maine as Uncle Gene" 1t
would be to contempt of the
supreme court, treason and all high crimes
and misdemeanors. Mr.. Hale Is In the
senate what Mr.. cannon is in the house,
the chief conservator of the traditions of
the party. Yet their methods are as diff
ferent as are the two houses. or the two
men.
Mr.. Cannon never encouraged the SEN
atorial ambition. He never looked upon a
transfer from the house to the senate as a
promotion. Perhaps one of the most re-
markable features Of his long service is that
he always has been Jealous of the rights
OF the house as opposed to the encroach-
ments Of the senate. 1t is true that Mr..
Cannon's conception of the scope Of the
rights OF the house differs radically from
that entertained by many persons, but 1t
is nonetheless true that the speaker OF the
house guards faithfully what he deems his
special trust,
Mr.. cannon is a product of the golden
age Of the republican party, one of the half
dozen men still In public life who entered
politics as supporters of Lincoln in his
first campaign. But the attitude OF the
Cannon mind is not so much that OF the
Lincoln era as of that epoch Of fierce
party strife which began with the end of
reconstruction and ended only with the
eclipse Of the democratic party during the
last Cleveland administration. In those
days it meant something TO be a party
man, and Il was disgraceful to be a turn
coat. 1t was the days Of straight tickets,
no scratching and absolute boss rule. The
independent voter had not appeared to
disturb politicians and the 'upllft' and
its schemes and plans was unheard Of.
Mr.. Cannon is true 10 the traditions of
his party and he has little patience with
new-fangled notions, unless they will serve
TO advance party interests. Then he Is as
ready TO take up a new Idea as anybody
could be.
The one thing he does know how to do
is to fight, He knows how TO deal heavy
blows, he knows how 10 TAX them, In
1891 Mr.. Theodore Roosevelt said; We
cannot escape from the fact that IL was no
credit TO the republican party Of the house
that Mr.. Cannon of Illinois should be one
OF it's leaders" Yet Il was not long until
Mr.. Cannon returned 10 the leadership as
a victor. One OF the leaders Of the house,
Henry Sherman Boutsll, has said OF the
speaker: II has no cant or hypocrisy,
He never poses, He never ~flatters. He
never deceives." And even his bitteresi
enemies must admit that there is never
any difficulty IN finding out Just where
Uncle Joe" stands, He ts again the cen
ter OF a political fight and the country
may be sure that he will not run away
from Il.
FERDERI0 J. AAsKIM.
tomorrow - IKE AMERICAN CON.
0RBss-Ths Leaders Of the senate.