The National tribune., 1911-04-06
UNCLE JOE CANNON.
He Did Not Want the Work
and Responsibility Of Minority
Leader.

All questions and problems of lesis-
latioh of course, are for the immediate
future. and this week Washington is
concerned chiefly with the spectacle of
Senate and House assembling. A lot
of Democrats have been drifting to
town as onlookers, some of them with
little interest as to the possibilities
of office. However. the Democratic Wis
iting, while more numerous than at
any period since the second Cleveland
Inauguration, is largely incidental. The
big Democrats have not been heading
this way. Gov. Harmon, of Ohio. a
prominent Presidential candidate, was
in Washington Monday to attend the
Supreme Court, and argue case be-
fore that tribunal. He got away Mon
day night, and did not linger for the
Democratic opening of Congress.
Over in the Senate the matter of
seating was adjusted long in advance.
The old Senators hold their seats from
session to session and from Congress to
Congress. The seats of those who fail
to come back for one cause and an
other are taken over by other Senators
able to file upon the more desirable
seats first. Most of the new Senators
find their name plates upon the par
ticular desk they are to occupy when
they first walk into the Senate Cham
Der. That is all very nice and sedate,
but the throngs quit the Senate gal
leries on the opening day of Congress
to get to the House, where the great
biennial contest for seats. is conducted.
This drawing for seats is something
of feature, but probably this years
drawing will be one of the very last of
note. For if benches are introduced
and the size of the hall is reduced there
will be very little rivalry as to where
one shall sit. 1t may be that the bien-
NAL drawing will be abandoned alto
gether. OF course. under present con-
ditions the majority side of the House
Chamber becomes the east side. The
Democratic seats are always on the
east side of the hall and the Republic
can seats on the west side. or at the
right and left hands respectively of the
Speaker as he sits in the House presid-
ing The Cherokee strip, for the over
flow of the majority party. viii now be
on the Republican side, where hitherto
it has, been on the Democratic side.
The Democrats this time accorded to
ex-Speaker Cannon and also to Gen.
Fl. H. Bingham, of Pennsylvania, the
father of the House." the privilege of
selecting seats In advance Of the draw
ing of lots. The new minority leader,
Representative James r. Mann, of Chi
cago, was also allowed to select de-
sirable seat on the Republican side
Passing of Uncle Joe.
The passing of Uncle Joe" from
the place of authority, Of course, makes
things look differently around the
House. It will be some days before
one gets entirely used to the sight of
him as a plain member, having a COM
| mittee assignment to appropriations,
where he long presided at the head of
| the table Instead Of a fine suite of
rooms in the southeast corner on the
] hn ha m
over to theS Office Building like other
members, and conducts his business in
little box-shaped room. He takes to
the change with great philosophy. and
declares that he is as happy and as
| contented as ever
| 1t is inevitable that Uncle Joe" will
| continue to be the most conspicuous
member on the floor. He declined to
stand as the candidate for minority
leader, because a considerable number
of Republicans were ready to oppose
him, and itsawould have entailed big
quarrelS ELS probably had friends
enough in The caucus to bring about
his denomination for Speaker, which is
| the pro forma way of designating a
member as minority leader. The hon
or, according to most presidents, really
| belonged to him. 1t would have been
an empty honor, as Mr.. Cannon was
| well aware.
AS a matter of fact, he was not at
| all anxious for the role of minority
! leader. Mr.. Cannon will harass and
poster the Democratic majority mag
nificently from time to time, but he
prefers to do this as he wills and when
| the spirit moves. He does not care for
! the onerous work of sticking close to
his seat day in and day out, watching
the proceedings and looking for OPP
portunfties. Representative Mann has
proved himself an adept at obstruction
| ist tactics. He follows the House pro-
ceedings closely, and many believe he
will make an excellent minority leader
in that regard
! When the ballot for Speaker was
taken the Republican members re-
sponded Mann" and the Democratic
members Clarke" Apparently many
of the Republicans who have become
accustomed to places OF influence and
authority in the House are more dis
| consulate over the new order of things
than the former Republican Speaker.