Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-03-03

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 still the frontier
of our civilization. That vast and powerful Sec
ton, so potent in the councils of the nation,
was then without votes excepting 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 wonderful galaxy of brilliant men were
here when he came to congress! James G. Blaine,
the "Plumed Knight of American statesmen, was
speaker of the house. James A. Garfield was a
member of the Ohio delegation and giving
evidences of those talents of leadership which
subsequently called him to the presidency. julius
G. Burrows, of Michigan James B. Beck of Ken
tucky William P Frye and Eugene Hale, of
Maine; Joseph r. Hawley, of Connecticut; George
f. Hoar of Massachusetts, Roger @. Mills, of
Texas; and Stephen B. Elkins, of the territory of
New Mexico were elected members of the
house and were subsequently called to the other
end of the capitol. But there were, in that same
congress- men who rounded out their cOngression-
al careers in this body and whose are 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. Rand
all Of Pennsylvania; Alexander H. 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 Vir-
gina; Edmunds, of Vermont; Frelinghuysen. of
New Jersey; Hannibal Hamlin, of Maine; John
J. ingalls,, of Kansas; John A. Logan, of Illinois:
c
of Indiana; Carl Schurz, of Missouri; John Sher-
and Allen G. Thurman, of Ohio; William
Window, Of Minnesota.
OF the 81 senators, representatives and dele
gates who 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 intimately connected with so
many historic characters
Mr.. Cannon has served under 10 speakers of
this house, in the following order; James G.
Blaine, Michael G. Kerr, Samuel J. Randall J.
Warren Keifer John G. Carlisle, Thomas B. Reed
Charles L. Crisp David B. Henderson Champ
Clark and Frederick h Gillett while he himself
occupied that exalted position for a 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 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 a reconstructive nature, made neces
sary by that unhappy event. need not be referred
to. The great granger movement finally resulted
in 1887, in the enactment of the interstate COM
merce law.
The numerous legislative battles growing out Of