The Alaska daily empire., 1922-03-13
Uncle Joe"
(NeW York Times

"Uncle Joe" Cannon of Danve Ill., who started his political career the same ticket with Abraham Lincoln and who has served more years in Congress fthan any other in the history of this country will retire to private life This slddened every member of Congress. Democrats and Republicans alike when few days the veteran of fort yIsix years the House of Representatives announced that with this Congress his active in politics would and that after March A. 1923 he would spend the rest of his days among his neighbors his home at Danve Ill.,, in quiet.
 As partisan in politics, Uncle Joe is uncom- promising, but friend he is stranger politics and measures man for what he is a fact that has mado him one of the most popular the Congres has ever known and which the occasion of MT. FCannons eightieth brthday-May 6, 1916--led the late Champ Clark, then the Speaker of the House, and always close friend of Mr Cannon's to declare that Uncle Joe' "a topnotcher mental pugilist the strongest rough and tumble debater that he Clark, had known and with all, excalimed the Misscurian as he waved his hand in the direction Of the Gentleman from Illinois, "A who hits, and hits hard, but never below the belt"
 It will be great day ill the House when Uncle Joe speaks his valedictory sometime close ofs tEc last session of the SXty-seventh Congress which will be along about March next year. Already his colleagues of both parties are talkne about the great send-off they going to give Uncle Joe" when he quits the House where he has shono with such brilliancy during the last fifty years.
 It is just fifty years since Mir. Cannon was first elected to Congress from the Eighteenth District Illinois, while sXty-tWo years have and gone since he entered politics the Republican candidate for District Attorney of Vermon County H. One of the original ballots used in that election at the top which appears the of Abraham Lincoln and near the bottom in modest position that of Uncle
 Joe is one of the przed possessions of this remark
 able old man, who like Lincoln born a Southerner and who also like Lincoln became part of the West uncle Joe was born in Guilford Court House 1 N C., in 1856, the year in which Sam Houston was elected President of Texas the year of the Massacre ] or the Alamo year in which the national debt Of the United States, which paid off in the same year was only $37513.05, and the year in which
 Martin Van Buren elected President of the United States. And so down through the years through the Mexican War, the days of Webster. Clay and Calhoun, and of Lincoln and Grant and Lee "UncIe
 Joe'' has journeyed
 | And in 1872 the year when Grant was elected for l second time President of the United States Upce
 Joe came to Congress
 ! That was a great year, said Uncle Joe '" as he
 recalled his first appearance the floor of the House Nfor 1t was the when Vesuvius produced ono of
 her worst and most historic erupions it was inc vao or the gre0. ioston fire that burned uD someth like $S000O,0co worth of property the year they ar Erested old Brigham Young and charged him with com
 picity in the murder of Richard Yates the wear bar
 the Prohibtionists held their first national corvor
 ton and nominated James Black of Pennsvlvani. fo President the year that Spain emancpated tha sIavos Ill Porto Rico and the year when Germany bacap,o on Iemplfe anu France republic Quite a year I think you will admit" '
 And Uncle Joe'' recalled that of the men who or today his colleagues in the House of Ranrasont ntat; fabout ll5 were then unborn when he camo to wosh grngton hfty years ago. Representative MondeI ,bo Republican floor leader. was 2 years old and r; J. Garrett, the leader of the minority was not horn
 Nichoas Longworth was three years old Speaker Gil lett casting his first yote and Clando Ki,oS; like Longworth looking forward to bis fos,rth anniversary celebration.