The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-28
From the chicago Record Herald.


wings wers clipped yesterday by the
Insurgents, has been q unique figure in
public life.
THE last of the frontier type OF
statesman, of which Lincoln was first
when a celebrity said that of Uncle
Joe" some six years ago he was APP
plauded for holding the mirror up to
life, for picturesqueness and plalnness
have been SO developed and nourish ed
by the seer of Danville that without
them he would be like President Taft
without the expansive smile, like Theo-
dore Roosevelt without the teeth and
eye glasses. like Buffalo Bill" with
out his long hair and SLOUGH hat
Picturesquel What politician in Illi-
nois has not seen Uncle Joe" making
a speech at state convention? Off
comes his coat as he warns up, next his
waistcoat is "shucked,' later collar and
necktie are yanked from their moor
ings and slammed on the desk, and be-
fore the speech is finished the sage of
Danville has plunged his hand into tn @
water pitcher. fished out chunk of ice
and has applied it to his throbbing
brows and to the base of his neck.
Plainness! What legally qualified
voter of middle age is there in Danville
who has not received a slap on the back
some time or other and heard the words.
"Old friend, give me chaw of toback-
err" and known without turning his
head that Cannon was back in town?
Who has not seen the famous panatella
cigar, tilted toward the skyline at an
angle of sixty degrees-the joy of the
cartoonists? Who hasn't seen the little
black hat and heard stories of the man
around whom cluster more anecdotes
than around any one man since the time
of Lincoln?
| Picturesqueness and plainness-with-
out them Cannon wouldn't be the 'fron-
tier type" and in that knowledge he
has taken care that they suffer not one
jot or little of abatement.
| Geographically speaking, Speaker
Cannon comes from quaker parentage
and was born in North Carolina in 1896.
He spent his boyh God in Indiana and
later moved to Illinois, where he has
lived ever since. his home being in DAN
vile. With the exception of one term.
when he was kept at home by his con-
stftuents, he has been in Congress since
1872, or nearly four decades. over a
quarter of n century ago he was ap-
pointed by Speaker Carlisle a member
of The committee on rules-the self
same committee over which the stirring
battle has just been fought in Wash
ington. For many years he was chair
man of the committee on appropriations
and was known as watchdog of the
treasury"
Once upon a time, about eight years
ago, Mr.. Cannon dictated an autobiog-
raphy to a Washington correspondent
1t was short. succinct and Characters
tic. It ran:
Mr.. Cannon was born of God fearing
and man-loving parents. He made him
self, and he did a darn poor job of it,"
In appearance Mr.. Cannon is rather
slim man, about five feet and a half in
height. Despite his "A years he is as
straight as an arrow. His rugged face
is ornamented with a grizzled beard, his
upper lip being shaved. He is quick
and alert in his movements, his eyes
have youthful sparkle
In conversation he is almost as vehe-
ment as when making a speech. His ia
vorite habit is to throw an arm around
the neck of the man ne is speaking
with, then to edge off and pound him
on the shoulder at the rate of two
blows for each sentence. A half-hour
chat with the speaker is as good as a
physical culture lesson. 1t leaves the
interviewer feeling almost as if he had
been having bout with Jeffres
In Washington years and years ago
he became noted for his keenness in de-
bate. He is master of satire, of razor
like edge. Ten years or so ago the
White House was remodeled and the
old furniture was auctioned off, Among
other things an old-fashioned side
board was sent to the auction block. 1t
was announced that the young women
of Cincinnati had bought it for song
and had presented it to the widow of
President Hayes. At this a democra tic
congressman sent in a hot resolution
asking for an investigation of the entire
auction, and followed it up with a.
speech denouncing the "sacrilege.'' The
House was in tumult when up arose
Joseph G. Cannon.
"Mr. Speaker" he said, Eve are told
that in the early days of the republic
Abigail Adams hung out her laundry to
| dry in the east room of the White
House. Good God, Mr.. Speaker, where
Is that clothes line now?"
| That ended the inquiry.
| Among the other multitudinous epi-
grams with which Mr.. Cannon has
spiked Situations" they still repeat the
story of what happened in Chicago in
1904 during the republican convention.
A boom had been started for Cannon for
| Vice President
| The day before the convention Marty
| Of friends called on the speaker at the
Great Northern hotel. They found him
sitting on one Louis XIV chair with his
feet draped over the back of another a
stogy in his hat. The party asked for
| information
Look here said the speaker. his arms
flying, do you think that at my age and
my time of life I'm going to let anybody
stick a peacock feather in my hat and
then break my neck trying to admire it?''
That closed all further talk of Cannon
for vice president.
| In the 36 years he has benin Washing
ton Mr.. Cannon has helped write many an