Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-03-06
THE RETIRING SPEAKER.
"Uncie joe as Young as Any Member
of House on His Last Day.

! Washington March 5.--The youngest
| member of the House in appearance, his
| step the sprightliest, his eye the clearest,
| Joseph G.. Cannon of Danvile H.. usher
| ed in his last day as Speaker of the Re
| publican House with ringing declaration
| Of his vigor and alertness.
| vi night the Speaker had ranged
through the House chamber and the lob
| bes, sitting for time at the clerks dask
10 sign bills that had been passed poking
fun at members who had gone to sleep
on lounges and in chairs. and taking an
occasional turn at sitting in his place iii
the Speakers chair. He was there a little
after a. NJ when Chairman Tawney of
the appropriations committee arose to
ask for a further conference on the sun
dry civil appropriation bill.
Mr.. Speaker" began Mr.. Tawney.
THE Speakers asleep" interrupted
some member on the floor. in an aside
TO Tawney. The figure in the Speakers
chair galvanized into action.
THE Speaker Is not asleep" he shouted.
THE Speaker is very much awake" and
his gavel struck the desk with an empha-
sis that brought men tumbling off the
lounges i'll the cloak rooms.
AS the day wore on the Speaker lost
none of his vigor. When the Democratic
hlihuster was delaying the transaction of
business he ignored the fractic efforts by
Democrats for recognition and ordered
roll call on the general deficiency bill.
Wild confusion broke out and Speaker
take the mace.
Speaker-to-Be Clark offered a resolu
ton paying a high personal tribute to the
retiring Speaker, and Acting Speaker I'm
derwood put the resolution before the
House, which adopted it unanimously.
In his speech Mr Clark characterized
Speaker Cannon as "a great historical
character"
Mr.. Clark said in part:
1T does not make particle of diff
ference whether we like him or dislike
him. whether we indorse what ne has
done in whole or in part, or not at all
He is a man with whom the historian
will deal in days TO come, and hc will
occupy large space.
Human nature is a very curious
and unreliable institution. Under
strife of circumstances and aggrava-
tion gooG men say what in good humor
tb"y r0rcr would drr1in of saying
Courteous mcn when mad will act dis
courtc"a~lt. And while we do not in
dorse " rfthing that Speaker Cannon
has don, or everything that Speaker
Cannon has said ard while perhaps
he ana al! the rest of us would need 10
ask that some OF our verbal sins at
- Il L., .ie,
without retracting anything
from the principles that we have ad-
vacated in this Congress or any other
without apologizing TO any mortal man
for the talk of the minority in this
FIouse during this Congress; and. ac-
cording to others the same honesty
and patriotism that we claim for our
selves, | believe this resolution is just
and ought to pass.
4 am certain when the heat Of the
occasion is passed. when We come to
reflect on II. that we all wish for the
re'irlh% Speaker peace, plenty. pros
leritN' happiness and length of days
Th" resolution provided for a COM
mittee of two to notify Mr. Cannon of
the adoption of the resolution and to
'-'-'' ''-~iN w tIt IbSITunl. ACT
ing Speaker Underwood appointed Mr.
Clark and Mr.. Mann of Illinois.
Down the main aisle, watched bv n
great crowd that overflowed the GAL
ferries and even spread into all tho
available space back of the rail in the
rear of the members seats on the
floor. while members of both parties
che"red and handkerchiefs waved, Mr..
Cannon, with Mr.. Clark holding his
arm. and Mr.. Mann close beside,
marched up TO the rostrum.
There MIR. Clark introduced to the
House Our Old familiar friend, the
Hon. Joseph G.. Cannon, known from
the Atlantic to the Pacific as Uncle
Joe "
"He is tho second man in the history
of the government 10 serve as Speak
er Of the House as long as eight
years" said MIR. Clark. "and he is the
only man in the history of the repub-
lie that ever served in the House 36
years In consecutive service he leads
! them all. In length of service he is
exceeded by Henry Clay alone"