The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1921-02-26

commemorate today securely establishes JOSEPH
o. Cannon In the place of Father or all inc
Anne. tcan 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
tiOn now 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 MeA-
leo Utah, Washington and wyoming were WIFI
out votes and represented here by delegates
. What wonderful galaxy of brilliant men were
here when he came to congress! James G blaihe'
the "Pumed Knight" of American statesmen was
speaker of the house. James A. Garfield was
member Of the Ohio delegation and was giving
evidences of those talents of leadership which
subsequently called him TO the presidency. julius
c. Burrows, of Michigan: James b. Beck, OF Ken
lucky; William p. Frye and Eugene Hale, Oh
Maine Joseph r. Hawley of Connecticut; George
F. Hoar of Massachusetts; Roger Q. Mills. OF
Texas; and Stephen B. Elkins, 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 congressiOn-
al careers In this body and whose names 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
8 Holman, of Indiana John A. KassOn, of Iowa;
William R. Morrison of Illinois; Samuel ]. Rand
all, of Pennsylvania; Alexander ID. 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 Vlr-
gnIa; Edmunds, of Vermont; Frelinghuysen OF
New Jersey: Hannibal Hamlin, of Maine: John
J. Ingalls,, of Kansas: John A. Logan, Of Illinois;
Uarrn ID
of Indiana; Carl Schurz, of Missouri John Sher-
man and Allen G.. Thurman. Of Ohio; William
Window, of Minnesota.
OF the 81 senator's 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 c.
Blaine Michael c. Kerr Samuel ]. Randall. j.
Warren Keifer, John G. Carlisle, Thomas B. Reed,
Charles L. Crisp David B. Henderson, Champ
Clark and Frederick H. Gllett 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 ont o.