The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-06-01
JOE CANNON AT 70,
Speaker Of the House Frisky as
a Colt.
BELIEVES IN WORKING HARD.


Outshuffled an Orchestra--Strong In
His Likes and DisIikes.
abe house, having survived the ordeal
of his seventy third birthday, looked
as clipper the other day as he did ten
years ago. He appeared just as pug
nacious, too, as ever, and he said he
expected to be around and "doing
things" on good many more birth
days He put in his seventy third an
niversary much the same as he does
every other working day in the year.
After a call on President Taft and a
visit to the committee on appropria-
tiOns he put a red carnation on the
lapel Of his coat and waded through a
mass of letters and kilograms of con-
graduation.
The speaker stands pat on his decla-
ration that ''this country is hell of
success" This was a quotation as
cribed to the speaker which properly
summed up his estimate of the United
States.
"I don't believe l said it, said the
speaker. 1T shocked a lot of good
people, but it lasted, and it's true. In
this country, where 80 per cent of the
people are trying to push ahead, where
they ire racing to get in advance Of
the other 10 per cent, it is up to those
in the rear to try to equal them by
using their mental and physical abil-
Tho country hao M nafiopno with
those who are disconnected and abnor-
NAL. The applause Is for the one in
front. The man who attains power
and keeps it deserves his success.
Carping and complaining will not adj
vance the man in the rear. He must
put his best foot forward and try his
hardest"
These sentiments were born with
Uncle Joe in Guilford, N. c., on May
z, 1886. 1t was the practice of these
sentiments that got him into public
life and kept him there. He has spent
thirty-four years in the house of rep
Fesentatives. Prior to that eight years
were given to the state of Illinois as
a district attorney. In all of that time
Joseph G.. Cannon has been trying, and
trying hard. He has had to try, be-
cause leadership in the house of rep
,xesentatiyes is not birthright or a
Z legacy The man who wins must be
the best politician of 300 other best
politicians Of the United States,
Aside from the constitutional au-
thority to preside over the house, the
speaker has a wealth Of political wis
dom as scepter of power With
these two attributes he has popularity
and an iron hand. Seven years ago he
was elected speaker of the Fifty
eighth congress. He took the gavel
from General Henderson of Iowa.
Speaker Henderson had taken the
place Of Gar Reed and his rules along
with it. Speaker Cannon has taken
the Reed rules and outczared the czar.
No man who has ever presided over
the house has dominated it as COM
pIetely as the present occupant of the
chair. True, many fights have been
made on him, but not once has the OPP
position been able to put much Of
dent in the iron dukes" armor.
Although seventy-three and weighed
down with more problems and cares
of state than many younger man
could shoulder, the speaker is as frisky
as a colt and likes to show it. At
dinner of the Jamestown survivors
few weeks ago he danced Jig In
competition with a boy of twenty-five.
he put such life in Turkey In the
Straw" that the Hungarian orchestra
called it day and knocked off with
Uncle Joe still shutting.
Uncle Joe is strong In his likes and
dislikes. Strongest of his dislikes is
his contempt for the man who tries to
- upset the standing order of things by
demagogy or appeals to popular fancy.
His heartiest like is for green corn on
the cob. 1t is told that while he was
a new member Of congress he boarded
at a Washington hotel which put up an
Sexcellent lot of green corn. Mr.. Can
non had invited a friend to dine with
him. When the corn on the cob was
brought in the congressman fell to
with vigor, Inviting the man from
home to pitch In" The guest side
stepped the corn, but Uncle Joe kept
after 1t until he had finished about six
ears. Then he insisted on his friend
taking some, and when he refused I'm
Gle Joe started again, mot to let it
spoil" He was just polishing up the
last ear when the guest broke in with:
"Say, Joe, don't you think it would
be little bit cheaper for you to board
in livery stable?'
The speaker has a wholesome regard
for the United States senate, but he
has an old fashioned idea that the
house is the superior branch. So it
happens that when a messenger from
the senate arrives and addresses "Mr.
Speaker with a lowly bow Mr.. Can
non sits bolt upright and says, ''NTr
Secretary" without the bow A friend
chided him for this and told him that
it was customary to bow to the sen.
ate's messenger.
'"The whole d. senate can't make
me bow to it, and I'll be d. if II
bow to one of its messengers" said
the speaker. settling that little matter
In commemoration of his birthday
the Republican members of congress
from North Carolina, where the speak
er was born, presented to him an I'm
usually large dipper made Of gourt
from the Tar Heel State.
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