Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-02-24

commemorate today securely establishes Joseph
g. Cannon in the place Of "Father of all the
American Congresses" When he took his seat
at the beginning of the Forty-third congress, the
great empire of the West was still the frontier
of our civilization. That vast and powerful Sec
ton, now potent In the councils of the nation.
was then without votes excepting a narrow fringe
of population on the shores of the Pacific ocean.
The sovereign states of Arizona, Colorado, North
Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho Montana New Mex
leo. Utah. Washington and Wyoming were with
out votes and were represented here by delegates
What a wonderful galaxy of brilliant men were
here when he came to congress! James c. Blaine.
the "Plumed Knight" of American statesmen, was
speaker of the house. James A. Garfield was a.
member of the Ohio delegation and was giving
evidences of those talents of leadership which
subsequently called him to the presidency. Julius
9. Burrows, of Michigan; James b. Beck, of Ken
lucky; William P. Frye and Eugene Hale of
Maine; Joseph r. Hawley, of Connecticut; George
F. Hoar, of Massachusetts; Roger Q. Mills. of
Texas and Stephen b. Elkns, of the territory Of
New Mexico, were elected members of the same
house and were subsequently called to the other
end of the capitol But there were, In that same
congress, men who rounded out their congresson-
al careers in this body and whose names equal
ly familiar to the American people.
Among them might be mentioned Benjamin f.
Butler Of Massachusetts; Richard p. Bland, Of
Missouri Sunset" Cox of New York; William
s. Holman, of Indiana John A. Kasson, of Iowa
William r. Morrison Of Illinois; Samuel J. Randi
ALL OF Pennsylvania; Alexander FL. Stephens. of
Georgia
At the other end of the capitol might be men,
toned Senators Allison, of Iowa Bayard of Della
ware; Cameron, of Pennsylvania Carpenter of
Wisconsin; Chandler, of Michigan; Roscoe Conk-
ling of New York; Henry G. Davis OF West yir-
gina; Edmunds. of Vermont; Frenghuysen of
New Jersey; Hannibal Hamlin, of Maine; John
]. Ingalls,. of Kansas; John A. Logan, of Illinois
Justin S. Morrill, of Vermont; Oliver r. Morton.
of Indiana Carl Schurz OF Missouri; John SHEER
man and Allen G. Thurman, of Ohio; William
Window. of Minnesota.
OF the 81 senators, representatives and dele
gates who were recorded In that notable gathering
all but two have passed from the stage of public
life, but mercifu Providence has left us Speaker
Cannon and General Sherwood In order that we
might know that In those days there were giants
upon the earth.
1t has been given to no other man in all our
history to be so intimately connected with so
many historic characters
Mr. Cannon has served under 10 speakers of
this house. In the following order; James e.
Blaine Michael c. Kerr, Samuel J. Randall j.
Warren Keifer. John G. Carlisle, Thomas b. Reed
Charles L. Crisp, David B. Henderson, Champ
Clark and Frederick III. Glllett. while he himself
occupied that exalted position for period of
eight years. He has also served under 10 presi-
dents, as follows: Grant, hayes, Garfield, Arthur,
Cleveland Harrison, Mckinley Roosevelt, Taft
and Wilson, and In a few weeks Harding will be
added to the list.
The Forty-third congress, In which Mr.. Cannon be-
gan his service, will be memorable because of the
passage of the act providing for the resumption
of specie payments following the Civil war The
civil rights BILL the amnesty bill and much similar
legislation Of reconstrcetise nature made neces-
sary by that unhappy event, need not be referred
to. The great granger movement fin0liy resulted,
in 1887, in the enactment of the interstate COM
merce law.