Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-24
is JOE CANNON ONE
OF THE IMMORTALS?
His Speech Defending American
Men of Arts and Letters Ranks
With Mark Antony's Ora
tion Over Caesar

NHIHO are the American 1mmortals? France
w has forty Immortals, members of the
French Academy, who are the men most dis
tinguished in arts and letters. Zola sought
election for years, but for reasons which
seemed good to the powers in control he
was denied the honor.
American men of letters and of arts or
ganized a society few years ago from the
members of which were elected fifty OF the
most distinguished Americans. Mark Twain,
William Dean Howells, Augustus st. Gaudens.
Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and
Henry Cabot Lodge were among the early
members, and those of them still alive are
still members. Congress has been asked to
incorporate the American Academy of Arts
and Letters, n body consisting of the great
est fifty men who have won distinction in
either letters arts, and with it's usual
philistinism Congress has made fun of the
whole enterprise
Mr.. Dies, of Texas, during the debate on
the Incorporating bill in the House of Repre-
sentatives the other day. opposed the plan be-
cause 1t was exclusive and not inclusive, He
remarked that IL he were to make up list of
great Americans he would include not only Mr.
Wilson and Mr.. Roosevelt, but the entire
Cabinet OF each of them. for. as he asked
What can President do without his
Cabinet?"
II would like to have the Speaker on it,"
he continued. And I regard the ex-Speaker
of this House NIr. Cannon) as one of the
keenest intellectual blades have ever known
in my life. Why not put him in there?"
What Congress Does Not Know
Mr.. Dies concluded by remarklng. that to
ask Congress to set it's approval on the
rra fOrG nf at1tra nd ha
foolish as to select committee Of pork
packers TO pass on the works of art of ancient
Greece and Rome Congress had never heard
of half of the fifty men in the list of incor.
porators.
Thereupon Uncle Joe" Cannon arose in
his place and talked and Congress listened
What he said is printed in the Congressional
Record publication which, in spite of all
the ridicule that has been heaped upon it,
deserves the study of every man OF leisure
who is willing TO skim dreary pages for
the sake of the delight which he gets from
the wit. humor and philosophy that he comed
upon when least expecting 1t. The ex-SpeakeI
said, with a fine touch of irony: .
There is world but this in the vast
universe Men may talk about suns and
planets and comets and all that kind OF
thing, but there is no world but this"
How do you know"
Gentlemen have ridicued the names OF
men here Well, there are many Of them
whom / have never met. i have had much
pleasure, however, in reading the produce
tions of William Dean Howells / have had
much pleasure in reading the graphic and
Virile descriptions in the winning Of the
West" by our late President. / have had
much pleasure in reading the works OF Mark
Twain. Now you go along fur
ther. Hamilton AIabie, of New Jersey;
Thomas Nelson Page, of the District of Co
lumbia' now our diplomatic representative
abroad. ] like Thomas Nelson Page and
believe / have read everything he has ever
written to my entertainment. Henry Cabot
Lodge Senator Lodge, one of the most virile
writer's of biography OF great men and of
history that has lived upon this con-
tinent. So. after all, there is here and there
grain Of wheat ] might read further.
Andrew Dickson White-DOctor White, of
Cornell, eminent In diplomacy and scientific
attanments. eminent from every standpoint.
Most OF these people IL they do not trot
in that class-and cannot say how many
do have the right to trOt in that class-shall
they be ridiculed because, as look through
my glmlet hole at the universe, whether it
be of literature art, the size of II Is ac
cording TO the range OF my vision7
Trusting in Professor Langley
Now 1 have the highest respect for these
gentlemen; but, gentlemen take the Ma
tional Academy OF Science. Great Heaven
can appreciate il, although what do not
know about science and literature would
make book. Let US be honest and square
My primary education was got before I
was l3 in a little log schoolhouse. III l am
educated at all, 1t Is by virtue of my reading
since l arrived at the age OF "a l am not
educated greatly. can prove that by these
reporters here who revise my remarks or
il not by the typesetters at the Government
Printing once, for cannot correctly punc-
tuate a half dozen sentences to save my life.
- Gentlemen. we have got to take
something on trust have got to admit
that somebody in the wide world is wise be-
sides ourselves. We would not get along
very well II we did not.
Let me give you some Of my experiences
with these men. Did gentlemen here ever
know Professor Langley, late head of the
Smithsonian institution He was an old
bachelor and college professor, although do
not know what college he was connected
with / had the honor al that time 70 be Al