The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-19
HE WARMED UP.
Speaker Cannon Holds His Kan
sas Audiences.
His Voice Strong and Vigorous
as of YOre.
PEOPLEIN GOOD HUMOR
Part of Time Convulsed With
Laughter at His Comparisons.
Announces That He Is Receptive
Candidate for Speaker.

Joseph G. Cannon of Illinois, stand
patter incarnate. called czar of all
the national house, and held up as the
root of all political evil by Kansas in
surgents, made two speeches in the
Sunfiower state Monday to large au-
diences. The State Journal correspon-
dent is of the opinion that there was
not dozen men in either audience,
at Emporia or Burlingame, that did
not warm up to this wonderful old
mans personality during the course of
his address. What man he is. Just
| recovered from collapse Saturday at
Winfield, coming to Kansas from
| long and strenuous session of con-
gress where he fought for his political
life, carrying "A years on his frail
shoulders, yet when he finished his
speech at Burlingame at IL o'clock
Monday night his voice rang strong
throughout the grove and his gestures
were as vfrile. his store of energy ap-
parently as fresh as when he started
out on his Kansas trip.
He said at Emporia that he did not
come to Kansas to pick stars from the
armament. where they belonged, he
had no use for star, he said, and
they were needed in the sky, but nev-
ertheleSs he spoke at times with true
eloquence threading his imagery with
rough homespun and common sense
parallels.
His audiences were hostile to his
doctrines, of that there is doubt,
but Cannon did no harm to his cause
in Kansas. 1t is not in the nature of
Kansans to refuse admiration to this
little man with the big heart and gray
head and indomitable courage of his
convictions. His doctrine may have
been that of the hereto, but his inter
esting and able presentation won good
will if 1T did not win converts. Less
than half of his audience cheered but
all laughed at the man who was born
on the Wabash and mixed Hoosierisms
with the ismS of the Republican par
ty of yesterday and today.
Mr.. Cannon speaks a language all
his own, he has gestures more potent
than those taught for the stage or ros-
trum. He quotes from every one of
| the forty prophets at Ramah, from
David and Moses, Paul and John and
long list of others of the chosen
people. His applications of holy writ
to his subject are as trite and true as
the bricks laid in the temple wall.
He has no set speech, follows no
notes. but simply draws from the fund
of thirty-six years of public life. and
it is all very quaint and funny and
strong and interesting and it compels
admiration. His discussion of tariff
schedules is as simple and clear as
though he talked of trade in a coun-
try store, in fact he draws all his IL
lustrations from the farm and life of
small village. When he gets side
wheel movement of his right arm un-
der way and turns like pivot on one
foot and wags his head, speaking all
the while deep and solemn and prod
ding the finger of his left hand right
through your lungs, he has his hear
ers sitting with eyes and ears and
mouth open listening for every word
Then he closes with some honelv
nhr2Sa that 1or,
and admiration slips in with the laugh
and stays there.
Some Cannonis1ns.
All five of his Kansas speeches made
up to this time are different and it is
impossible to quote half of what he
has said. but the following epigrams
from all of them will serve to give
some idea of what he is talking to the
Kansans about this week without the
necessity of reading through a long
speech:
What makes a newspaper? why.
a case of cold type. and a roll of white
paper and a barrel of ink. and an edi-
tor who is either honest or a liar.
Then when it all appears in print there
is some magic influence, some potent
quality in the printed page that COM
pels the public to believe every word
of it. while men speak the opposite
with the tongues of angels, and are not
heard .
81 am Scotch-Irish on one side of
the house and Quaker on my mothers
side, and all the free trade Democrats
and progressive Republicans in the
world can not compel me to quit pub
lie life under fire."
when Bristow made that statement
of his on rubber he stated a false
hood: no,smaybe he was ignorant God
forbid the thought that the insurgents
fa6
1.-THE rocks and mountains fell upon
the Democrats after the passage of the
Wilson free trade bill and they have
been buried ever since"
'aThe insurgents are trying to beat
Miller because he voted for the Payne
bill, and they are trying to beat An
thony and Campbell and Scott. and
they are trying to beat that grand
man, the most courageous ever knew
Congressman Calderhead.'
ST wish I had a choir that could
sing a political song that would ring
and carry the words, 4 Am a Soldier
of the Cross to all men,
"Bristow may agonize and calami-
tie, but the country goes marching on
to prosperity"
''There are 391 members of the
house and there were 10000 bills pre-
sented at the special and last regular
session; now, if each member had been
allowed one minute of debate on each
bill and there had been roll call on
each bill it would have taken the
house ninety years to have disposed Of
that batch of bills"
DO you see that foot (placing his
foot on the railing in front of him), it
Continued on Page Eight)