Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-07
HOUSE IN NONPART|SAN
TRIBUTE TO UNCLE JOE"
sion to fIonOring Former
Speaker.
WILL BE so YEARS OLD TO-DAY
First Time I'm History Of Lower Leg
fslative Branch That So Much Time
Has Been Set Aside to Pay Re-
spects to Living Member.

WASHINGTON. May 6.-Party lines
disappeared In the House to-day when,
during the first hour of its regular ses-
sion, ii joined in paying tribute to
Uncle Joe" Cannon. the former
Speaker who will be eighty years old
to morrow. Never before in the his
tory Of the House had an hour of the
working session been set aside to honor
Il living member.
One Of the original Progressives.
Representative Cooper. OF Wisconsin,.
presided during the greater part of the
ceremonies. One of the original re-
VOTERS against the so-called Cannon
rule" for years. he fought the then
Speaker but to-day he presided as 4
friend.
Speaker Clark. in humorous and
friendly speech, termed Mr.. Cannon one
of the "topnotcher class OF mental
pugilists." He also wrote into the
record for posterity the statement that
once. during debate, with his own eyes
he saw Mr.. Cannon perform the unusual
feat of describing a complete circle on
one heel.
Speaker Cannon owes IL to himself
aud his countrymen to write n book of
"reminiscences" Speaker Clark said
Jobs vengeful declaration, oh. that
mine adversary had written IA book to
the contrary Notwithstanding. Evil
IDENTIFY the man OF Uz did not have in
his minds eye Theodore Roosevelt and
he
TO that far-resounding and malicious
desire"
ADDRESS OF APPRECIATION
FILLED WITH "REMINISCENCES
Still carrying himself as straight as
an Indian and as ruddy- checked as q
schoolgirl, Mr.. Cannon marched down
the center aisle of the House and de-
livered an address of appreciation filled
with "reminiscences OF other days. 1t
brought back the shadows of Blaine
Randall, Ben Butler. George F. Hoar,
Sunset" Cox. "PiE-Iron'' Kelly and
score Of other former contemporaries
OF Mr.. Cannon to the halls where once
they served. Mr.. Cannon was quick
to observe the nonpartisaa character
of the occasion. and his opening words
were in appreciation OF ii.
This is a sample OF the nonpartisan-
ship of the House," he said. 81 can say
with the Psalmst, The lines have
fallen unto me in pleasant places and
as look into the faces of friends on
both sides of the House nm more
inclined TO accept the plain evidence of
fact than the popular and picturesque
fiction which divides this body into a
partisan group on all questions, shuts
out personal relations and the co -oper-
alton Of Representatives. regardless OF
party, to work out in legislation the
greatest good to the greatest number
Representative Rodenberg, of Illi-
nois, referred to the courage of Mr..
Cannon in the stormy days when hs
was Speaker.
1T is but human TO err" he said.
land Uncle Joe has At all times been
intensely human; but no man, living or
dead. ever saw him lower his coIors or
hoist the white flag of surrender"
Mr.. Cannon now is closing his TWEEN
during the Forty third Congress and
since that time has been defeated
twice, once in 1892 and again in 1912
Only one other man who served in the
Forty-third Congress-Gencral Isaac
Sherwood, of Ohio--is in the present
Congress. His term Of service has been
much shorter than that OF Mr.. Cannon,
however. Despite his years, MIR. Can
non still takes an active part in debate,
and smokes as many cigars as ever.